X-Men edge Sea-Hawks in double-overtime thriller to open season

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The STFX X-Men survived a wild season opener Friday night, outlasting the Memorial Sea-Hawks 99–95 in double overtime at The Field House.

Fifth-year guard DJ Jackson powered the X-Men to victory with a dominant all-around performance, racking up 35 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 turnovers while playing 43 minutes.

Koat Thomas was also outstanding, adding 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, including several clutch baskets down the stretch.

The back-and-forth matchup saw both teams trade leads late, with Memorial rallying from behind in the fourth quarter to force overtime. After the first extra frame ended tied, STFX outscored the Sea-Hawks 11–7 in double OT to seal the win.

Phoenyx Wyse provided a strong interior presence for the X-Men, posting a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Nicolas Niare added 6 points and 3 boards. Matt Pennell chipped in 6 points off the bench, hitting two key three-pointers.

Norm Burry led the Sea-Hawks with 22 points, including 10-of-12 from the line, while Josh Reimer was a force inside, recording a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double. Javian Downey (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Ethan Conway (13 points) also contributed to a balanced attack.

The X-Men shot 44.8% from the floor and dominated in the paint, outscoring Memorial 50–32 inside despite struggling from beyond the arc (2-for-16). Memorial countered with 11 made three-pointers, but their 54.1% free-throw shooting proved costly in a game that came down to the smallest margins.

The two teams will meet again Saturday night in the second half of their weekend series in an 8:00 pm tip-off.

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