The Memorial Sea-Hawks women’s basketball team has not quite mathematically clinched an Atlantic University Sport playoff berth, but barring a catastrophe, the Lady Birds should be bound for the post-season for a third straight year.
And the Sea-Hawks’ men’s squad— though still in a dog fight for the sixth and final playoff berth — are sitting in good shape for a second straight post-season appearance, six points up on the seventh- and eighth-place teams.
The 7-9 Sea-Hawks’ women’s squad swept the winless St. Francis X-Women in Antigonish, N.S. in a pair of four-point games (games are worth four points in cases where teams only meet twice during the regular season), while the 6-10 Memorial men’s team split their weekend series with the X-Men. Sunday’s 88-81 loss to 5-10 St. FX snapped a three-game win streak.
Sydney Stewart scored 20 points Sunday as the Lady Birds won 70-50. Sydney Ezekiel had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Haille Nickerson chipped in 10 points.
Memorial led 38-26 at the half.
The two Sydneys — Stewart and Ezekiel — both scored 21 points in Saturday’s 80-72 victory. Nickerson had 10 as MUN trailed 37-33 at halftime.
The Sea-Hawks currently sit in fifth place, two points up on the Dalhousie Tigers, and 14 ahead of the seventh-place team, Saint Mary’s Huskies.
The Lady Birds are off next weekend. They travel to Halifax Feb. 16-17 for two games against Huskes before wrapping up the regular season at home Feb. 22-23 against Dal.
As for the men’s team, Memorial lost Sunday despite a huge game from Nathan Barker, who scored 34 points. Emanuel Ring netted 14 and Jeff Damalie had 10.
Barker now leads the AUS in scoring with 22.2 points per game.
The X-Men led at the half, 42-38.
Barker dropped 31 Saturday as Memorial made it three in a row with an 82-79 win over St. FX.
Ring scored 25 and Jason Thompson netted 10.
The score at halftime saw MUN lead 44-38.
Memorial’s men’s squad and St. FX find themselves tied for the sixth and final playoff spot with 16 points. UPEI and Acadia both have 10.
Like the women’s team, the men’s squad is off next weekend before playing Saint Mary’s on the road and tangling with Dal at the Field House to win up the regular season.
Meanwhile, the Sea-Hawks’ women’s volleyball team played host to Saint Mary’s for three games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, losing 3-1, 3-0 and 3-1.
