BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Register

A return to regular season play was just what the doctor ordered for the Acadia basketball Axemen.

After dropping two of three games at a Christmas tournament in Winnipeg, the Axemen jumped right back into conference play with a pair of key weekend victories, 75-69 over Saint Mary’s January 4 in Halifax and 81-68 over Dalhousie January 5 in Wolfville.

The wins improved Acadia’s AUBC record to 7-1, good for third place in the conference (for the time being) behind Cape Breton (8-1, including three four-point wins) and St. F.X. (6-2, but also with three four-point wins).

Acadia, with a game in hand over the Capers, has played just two four-point games this season, with six still to come, including two each against both Cape Breton and St.F.X.

January 4, the Axemen trailed SMU 21-18 after one quarter, but outscored the Huskies 27-21 in the second quarter for a 45-42 halftime lead. Acadia outscored their hosts 20-12 over the final 10 minutes to pull out the win and earn an important four points in the standings.

Leo Saintil had yet another “double-double,” with 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Axemen. Peter Leighton drained four three-pointers en route to 14 points, Andrew Kraus added 11 points and Shawn Berry also reached double figures with 10 points. Berry also hauled down nine rebounds, and Achuil Lual also had a strong game, finishing with six points and nine rebounds as Acadia won the “battle of the boards” 45-35. Paulo Santana had seven points in 20 minutes in his first regular season action of 2007/ 2008. Luckern Dieu had his streak of consecutive regular season games in double figures snapped at six, finishing with just two points as he found himself in foul trouble.

January 5, Acadia jumped out to a 20-10 lead over the Dal Tigers after one quarter of play. The teams each scored 15 points in the second quarter, allowing the Axemen to head to the dressing room at halftime ahead 35-25. Acadia stretched its lead to 56-42 after three quarters and led by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers hit a trio of three-pointers in the final 1:38 of play to pull to within 13, but the victory was more decisive than the final score suggested.

Shawn Berry had 16 points at halftime on the way to a game-high 29 for Acadia, including nine-of-nine from the free throw line. Saintil had another huge game with 26 points and 14 boards, and Dieu was back in double figures with 12 points in 19 minutes. Lual continued his steady play with seven rebounds to go along with six points.

The Axemen travel to Fredericton this weekend for a pair of games against the UNB Varsity Reds. The V-Reds are off to an 0-9 start, but are always tougher playing at home.

Acadia fans can mark Jan. 20 on their calendars: the Axemen will host Cape Breton for the first time this season in a 3 p.m. start.