Hoop X-Men win Eric Garland Invitational

The StFX X-Men basketball team was finally able to come away from a pre-season tournament saying they are the champions. After two previous losses in the final game of a tournament, the X-Men were able to come out on the winning end this time at the Eric Garland Invitational at UNB.

The tournament started on Friday with a 72-67 win over the Cape Breton Capers. This was a big game for the X-Men as the Capers defeated them in the StFX Invitational final game just one week prior. Chad Warren was the high scorer for the X-Men with 14 points and Tyler Richards added 10 points and five assists.

In the second game of the tournament on Saturday, StFX led for most of the game and easily defeated the host UNB Varsity Reds by a count of 84-68. Richards was named the player of the game after recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Christian “T-Bear” Upshaw also had a great night, dropping in 27 points.

The final game for the X-Men in the tournament was a high scoring affair, with X coming out on the winning end of a 97-90 game. Richards chalked up another double-double with 27 points and 11 boards. Terrence Taylor was named the player of the game for the X-Men by draining 18 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, just one short of joining Richards with a double-double of his own. Dwayne Johnson also had 16 points for StFX in the game that sealed the tournament victory.

Fittingly, Tyler Richards was named the Alexander Keith Tournament Most Valuable Player after solid outings in each game. T-Bear Upshaw was named to the McDonald’s All-Star team, along with Timothy Johnson (Lee Academy), Tremaine Fraser (CBU), Scott Jaspers-Fayer (CBU) and Colton Wilson (UNB).

The X-Men ended their pre-season on a winning note. The regular season starts on November 6th when the X-Men will take on the Saint Mary’s Huskies in Halifax. 

Courtesy Matt Skube, StFX Sports Information