X-Men cruise to 83-69 win over Axemen

Courtesy Monty Mosher, The Chronicle Herald 

The last unbeaten team in the AUS stayed that way Sunday in Wolfville.

Steve Konchalski’s St. Francis Xavier X-Men, ranked second in the CIS, rolled to 15-0 in the AUS men’s basketball standings with an 83-69 win over the Acadia Axemen. The Axemen lost their 10th in a row to fall to 4-10.

The Axemen challenged the X-Men, the top three-point shooting team in the CIS, with a zone defence. It worked for a while, but sharpshooting guard Charlie Spurr got hot late from the long distance to help seal the outcome.

The X-Men went to 8-0 on the road as Konchalski collected his CIS all-time best 751st career win. St. F.X. led by three at the half and only five at the end of 30 minutes.

"They stuck with us in the first half," said Konchalski. "We opened it up in the fourth quarter. Charlie Spurr got hot and he was a big factor."

Spurr, with two big three-pointers as part of a 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter to provide some breathing room, finished six-for-nine from three-point range for 20 points. Alberto Rodriguez provided the inside punch with 22 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Christian Upshaw added 13 points, seven assists and four steals and Will Silver 12 points, seven assists and six steals.

Rookie Anthony Sears had 25 points for the Axemen. Alex Traikov had 17 points and 12 boards and Owen Klassen 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The X-Men will have no easy ride to their second unbeaten regular season in nine years. St. F.X. faces CIS No. 4 Cape Breton twice down the stretch, starting Wednesday in Sydney.