By John DeCoste
KingsCountyNews.ca
St. F.X. hasn’t always been the most hospitable place for visiting sports teams over the years, but it was fine for the Acadia basketball teams Feb. 7, as each picked up key four-point wins.
The Axewomen got back on the winning track with a 79-63 victory over the X-women. The Axemen followed with an 86-70 win.
Kristy Moore led the way for the Axewomen with 23 points, including two three-pointers and 9-10 from the foul line, and added seven rebounds and five steals.
Lindsay Harris added 21 points and eight rebounds, while Abbey Duinker chipped in 15 points and nine boards.
Acadia shot 39.1 per cent from the floor and had a 40-38 edge in rebounding and a 23-18 edge in forcing turnovers. The X-women, meanwhile, shot just 32.1 per cent from the floor and 40 per cent (4-10) from the free throw line. Acadia was 21 for 29 from the line, a 72.4 per cent average.
In the men’s game, Acadia led by just one point, 21-20, after one quarter, and trailed 46-39 at halftime. The Axemen, however, won the third and fourth quarters for a final margin of victory of 16.
Owen Klassen finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead Acadia in both categories. He was ably supported as five Axemen ended up in double figures.
Brad States added 15 points and six rebounds, Tyler Scott also had 15, Anthony Ashe had 12 in his return to the lineup from injury and Anthony Sears finished with 11.
Overall, Acadia shot 42.9 per cent from the floor, 8-21 from three-point range and 18-22 from the foul line.
The Axewomen win improved their season record to 11-4, good for 30 points and sole possession of second place in the standings, behind only 16-0 Saint Mary’s. Much of the Axewomen success was due to their team defence, which had allowed just 942 points in 15 games.
The Axemen, meanwhile, improved to 12-3 on the season and were solidly in second place with 32 points, behind only 15-0 Cape Breton. The Acadia men have, by far, the best defence in the AUBC, having allowed just 1,032 points in 15 games.
The Acadia teams both hosted Saint Mary’s Feb. 12 and are back in action this coming weekend for a pair of games each against Cape Breton. Game times are 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday.
