Tigers advance to Championship Sunday with dominant win over Huskies

(HALIFAX, N.S.) The Dalhousie Tigers have advanced to the Subway AUS Men's Basketball Championships after defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies 84-64 Saturday afternoon at the Scotiabank Centre.

The No. 1-seeded Tigers were led by AUS second team all-star Alex Carson (Lower Sackville, N.S.) who finished with 15 points, adding five rebounds and two blocks to earn Subway Player of the Game honours.

The Tigers carried the lead throughout the first quarter, having as much as a 14-5 edge over the Huskies just over four minutes into the opening frame.

The Huskies began their push back, cutting the Tigers lead to six to trail 19-13 after 10 minutes of play.

Dalhousie continued their lead throughout the second, outscoring Saint Mary's 21-17 to hold a 10-point lead with a score of 30-20 at the half.

The Tigers came out strong in the third, as a three-point shot from AUS MVP Keevan Veinot (Port Williams, N.S.) allowed the Tigers to keep their 10-point lead. Their push continued throughout the quarter and they held as much as a 25-point lead. Dalhousie outscored Saint Mary's 26-14 in the frame, keeping their lead to 66-44.

Dalhousie's domination continued in the fourth, despite Saint Mary's look for a comeback. A three-pointer from Saint Mary's forward Travis Adams (Halifax, N.S.) pulled the Huskies within 16, 76-60, which is the closest they would come as the Tigers held on for the 84-64 victory.

Fifth-year Dalhousie forward Sascha Kappos (Miami, Florida) finished with a team-high 18 points in the winning, adding nine rebounds to come close to a double-double. Veinot also had a strong showing for the Tigers, recording 15 points, adding six rebounds and a game-high seven assists in the win.

Saint Mary's was led by Johneil Johnson (Lake Echo, N.S.), who finished the afternoon with a game-high 24 points, adding four rebounds, four steals, one assist and one block.

The Tigers will now face the winner of the second semifinal between the UNB Reds and StFX X-Men.

The championship game will take place Sunday afternoon, March 1 at 4p.m. at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.