he Memorial Sea-Hawks registered a rare weekend sweep Saturday and Sunday, taking a pair of games from the Acadia Axemen to improve to 2-3 on the year in Atlantic University Sport men’s basketball.
The Sea-Hawks thumped 1-5 Acadia 74-59 Sunday, following an 88-76 win Saturday night.
The women’s team had to settle for a split after dropping a 97-70 game Sunday. That came off an 88-74 Memorial decision Saturday night.
MUN coach Peter Benoite leaned almost exclusively on his starters — Nathan Barker, Boris Ristanovic, Emmanual Ring, Daniel Foo and Jason Thompson — over the weekend.
Only four points came from the bench Sunday, and 11 in Saturday night’s game.
On Sunday, conference scoring leader Barker sank 25 points to lead the Sea-Hawks at the Field House on the MUN campus. Newcomer Ristanovic, from Serbia, had a huge game for the Sea-Hawks with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Foo scored 14 and Thompson chipped in with 10.
Memorial jumped out to a quick lead, leading 15-8 after the first quarter. The Sea-Hawks were on top 34-24 at halftime.
On Saturday, it was Ring who was the big man on campus with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Foo dropped 25 points, and Barker had 14.
In that game, Acadia led 21-17 after the first quarter, but Memorial caught fire in the second, outscoring the Axemen 29-18.
In an AUS women’s game at the Field House Sunday, it was all Acadia in a 27-point win, knocking the Lady Birds back to 3-3 on the year.
Haley McDonald, with 31 points, and Jayda Veinot, with 29, dismantled Memorial. Sydney Stewart and Haille Nickerson both scored 19 points for the Sea-Hawks. Sydney Ezekiel had 18.
On Saturday, Stewart was incredible for the Lady Birds with a 35-point, 10-rebound effort. Nickerson scored 20 and Brooklyn Wright chipped in with 11.
Both basketball teams are in Sydney, N.S., next weekend for a pair of games against the Cape Breton University Capers. Then it’s the Christmas break, with play resuming Jan. 5-6.
Meanwhile, the women’s volleyball team played in an AUS tournament at Acadia University, but didn’t fare so well, losing by 3-0 scores in each of five matchups to Saint Mary’s, Moncton, Dalhousie, UNB and Acadia.
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