Memorial's basketball teams are both in action today, along with the women’s volleyball squad. The Sea-Hawks’ men’s volleyball team failed to reach the post season.
All playoff games in both sports will be streamed live on AUStv.ca
Women’s basketball
The Lady Birds are back in the playoffs after finishing 11-9 and sixth in the Atlantic University Sport standings.
Memorial finished out of the playoffs in 2016.
The Sea-Hawks take on the Cape Breton University Capers 3:30 p.m. today (NL time) at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
The Capers finished third in conference standings at 13-7.
Memorial lost twice last weekend at Acadia, cooling off a red-hot Lady Birds team that was 8-2 since the Christmas break. Memorial had a rough start to the season, going 2-5 before turning things around.
It was during the early part of the season the Sea-Hawks hooked up with the Capers, losing both games back in mid-November at the Field House by 76-71 and 82-71 scores.
The Capers were enjoying an eight-game win streak when they registered the wins over the Sea-Hawks. But Cape Breton is limping into the playoffs, losing five of their last six.
“There are no magical plays or defenses in basketball that guarantee you will win,” Sea-Hawks coach Mark English said. “It will come down to fundamental basketball on offence, and toughness and complete level on the defensive end. It is a simple as that.”
The winner of the Sea-Hawks/Capers game advances to play No. 2 seed, UNB Saturday. The final is slated for 1:30 p.m. Sunday (NL time).
Men’s basketball
Less than a week after posting a split against Acadia in Wolfville, N.S., the Sea-Hawks meet up with the Axemen 7 o’clock tonight at Scotiabank Centre in one of two semifinals.
The Sea-Hawks come in as the fourth seed after going 12-8 this season. Acadia finished 10-10 and is ranked fifth.
The Sea-Hawks men's squad enters the post-season winners of three of its last four starts, and is 6-6 since the Christmas break. The road has not been kind to Memorial, however, as the Sea-Hawks are 3-7 away from the Field House.
Memorial dropped the first game of its series with Acadia last Friday, 97-82, but bounced back with an 84-74 win on Saturday.
Graduating 6-9 Serbian Vasilije Curcic, who will finish third on Memorial’s all-time scoring list, was dominant, and Daniel Gordon was outstanding again off the bench. Starting point guard Davion Parnsalu returned from an ankle injury.
The winner of the Memorial-Acadia game plays in a semifinal against the Dalhousie Tigers Saturday. The championship game is 5 p.m. Sunday.
Women’s volleyball
After reaching the AUS final last season, only to lose to Dalhousie, the Sea-Hawks are back in the women’s volleyball playoffs looking for a different result.
Dal was still the class of the conference this season, going 19-1, but the second-place Sea-Hawks were 14-6.
Tonight in Halifax, 7:30 p.m. at Saint Mary’s University, the Sea-Hawks take on the homestanding Huskies, who were third at 11-9.
The Sea-Hawks were 4-1 against the Huskie’s this season. While it appears the Sea-Hawks and Tigers are favourites to clash in the AUS final, Memorial coach John Slauenwhite was quick to remind everyone where his team’s focus is right now.
“We have been preparing to play the semifinals first, and not look past SMU,” he said. “There are no easy matches at this point of the season and we expect SMU to be ready.”
The Sea-Hawks are paced by two-time MVP Jill Snow, who led the AUS in kills per set, total kills and service aces. Fellow first-team all-star Maiya Westwood averaged 10 assists per set this year.
Moncton and Dalhousie are meeting in the other semifinal. The winners play for the AUS banner 7:30 Saturday. The losers play for bronze earlier Saturday.
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