Excitement and anticipation of new varsity basketball and volleyball seasons quickly turned to disappointment for the Memorial Sea-Hawks.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams lost their weekend games to the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, while the women’s volleyball squad was swept by the Acadia Axewomen at the Field House in St. John’s.
The weekend started Friday with the women’s soccer team losing their semifinal game to Cape Breton University Capers at the Atlantic University Sport championship in Sydney, N.S.
Cape Breton, which would go on to win their second straight conference championship Sunday with a 1-0 decision over St. Francis Xavier University, scored a 2-0 win over the Sea-Hawks.
Memorial keeper Sydney Walsh was outstanding, stopping 15 of 17 shots.
The Sea-Hawks, who entered the tournament as the sixth-ranked team, upset third-ranked Dalhousie Tigers 4-0 in Thursday’s quarter-final.
The Capers were the top-ranked team in the tournament after going 10-1-1 this season.
The women’s basketball team lost a pair of close ones, 62-60 Sunday and 79-75 Saturday night to the Panthers.
Sunday, the game was 62-60 with 1:49 to play in regulation time. The Sea-Hawks had their chances, but missed a couple of shots, including a layup by Brooklyn Wright with two seconds left on the clock.
Haille Nickerson led Memorial with 14 points off the bench. Sydney Ezekiel had 13 points and seven rebounds. Wright scored 12. Memorial star Sydney Stewart managed only nine points in 33 minutes of action. Jane Baird failed to register a point in 33 minutes.
Memorial led 26-25 at the half.
Saturday, Ezekiel had 19 points with seven rebounds, Wright scored 14 with nine boards, Stewart had 13 and Baird with 12 for the Lady Birds, who were behind 41-37 at halftime.
The Sea-Hawks’ men’s squad were in Sunday’s game up until the start of the fourth quarter, trailing by one, 50-49. However, back-to-back early three-pointers by UPEI just about dashed hopes of a Sea-Hawks’ win.
UPEI won 77-65, following a 94-82 decision Saturday night.
Memorial was outscored 27-16 by the Panthers in the fourth quarter. Daniel Foo scored 21 points off the bench for MUN. Nathan Barker netted 17 points and Emmanuel Ring sank 11.
The Sea-Hawks led at halftime 32-29.
On Saturday, the Sea-Hawks lost despite big efforts from Ring (31 points, nine rebounds) and Barker (30 points, six rebounds).
Both men’s and women’s teams have their home-openers next Saturday and Sunday against the Saint Mary’s Huskies at the Field House.
The women’s volleyball squad played three matches against Acadia, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, losing 3-2, 3-0 and 3-0.
MUN is off next weekend, resuming play on Nov. 15 with four straight games at an AUS tournament hosted by Acadia.
