Strong fourth quarter leads X-Men to victory over Reds

FREDERICTON, NB - The StFX X-Men scored 31 points in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and valuable four-point match, beating the UNB Reds 85-73 on Saturday.

It was the first game of the second half of the 2019-20 Atlantic University Sport season for both squads.

Justin Andrew (Hamilton, ON) scored a game-high 25 points to lead the X-Men and was named the Subway Player of the Game.

"It was a big game to start the decade," said Andrew. "We haven't won here in three years. I haven't won here in three years, so it was good to start the year with a win."

In fact, it's the first time the X-Men have beaten the Reds, in Fredericton, during the regular season, since January of 2013.

Azaro Roker (Nassau, Bahamas) added a double-double for X, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

Ibrahima Doumbouya (Calgary, AB) came off the Reds bench to score 20 points and grab seven rebounds, while Chris Spurrell (Quispamsis, NB) added 14.

The game was close from the opening tip-off. Neither team was able to establish much of a lead.

The X-Men led 16-15 after one quarter and 28-26 at the half.

The teams continued to trade opportunities in the third quarter, which ended with X still up by a pair, 54-52.

But the X-Men seized control in fourth, opening the final quarter with an 8-0 run, going up 62-52, and pushing their lead to 70-57 by the mid-way point of the fourth.

The X-Men shot almost 48-percent from the field in the final quarter, much better than UNB's 39-percent.

"They won every effort play in the fourth quarter," said Reds head coach Brent Baker. "We didn't win any of those. Any 50-50 ball, they won. Any rebounds, they canned us on the glass."

"It was, basically, a lack of effort on our part and lack of execution at the offensive end. We didn't take quality shots," said Baker.

The X-Men, now 4-and-4, jump past UNB in the AUS standings. They return home for a Wednesday game against the DAL Tigers.

With the loss, the Reds are now 4-and-4, and fourth in the AUS.

"You can chalk it up to getting some guys back, off injuries, and trying to incorporate them in the line-up, but that doesn't make up for how our effort level was, which was poor," said Baker.

UNB hosts the Cape Breton Capers next weekend. The two teams will play Saturday, at 8:00pm, and again on Sunday, at 2:00, at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center.

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Recap courtesy Andy Campbell, UNB Athletics