X-Men win sixth straight game with victory over Huskies

ANTIGONISH, NS - The AUS leading STFX X-Men earned their sixth victory in a row with their second wide-margin win of the weekend, a 96-74 takedown of the visiting Saint Mary's Huskies on Coach K Court on Saturday night.  

STFX Player of the Game DJ Jackson, who had 18 points at halftime, finished with 25 along with 9 assists, while rookie Phoenyx Wyse picked up a double-double with 14 rebounds and 11 points. Jayrell Diggs and Dawson John each had 14 points for the Huskies. 

The Huskies jumped out front early, but a layup from Jackson put STFX up by one in the sixth minute. The squads traded scores and the lead for the rest of the opening 10 minutes, with a Koat Thomas free throw making it 27-24 going into the second quarter. 

It was all Saint Mary's in the opening minutes of the second, with a 9-2 run thanks in part to John hitting one of his four three pointers in the half. STFX fought back though, tying things up with an Owen Frayne drive with three minutes left. The two sides again traded buckets, but a three pointer from Matt Pennell at the buzzer made it 46-40 at halftime with STFX enjoying the lead. 

The X-Men offense and defense turned up the heat in the third quarter, outscoring the Huskies 17-0 in the first six minutes.  The Huskies eventually answered back but STFX remained on top by 18 points heading into the final stanza. 

It was the same again in the fourth, with the X-Men extending the lead to 25 in the opening three minutes. The Huskies responded with a run of their own, but they couldn't catch the X-Men, who remained in control throughout. 

The X-Men head into a mid-week matchup with the Dalhousie Tigers in Halifax on Wednesday, January 21. Saint Mary's next hosts UPEI on Friday, January 23. 

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics