USports Yearbook: CBU Capers vs STFX X-Men, 2/1/20
Out of all USports basketball games of the 2019-20 season, this late season clash at Sullivan Fieldhouse was one of the most exciting and dramatic from start to finish.
When the St. Francis Xavier X-Men had made the trip to Antigonish to take on the Cape Breton University Capers, little did they or their hosts know breathless and exciting the ensuing game would turn out.
There were seven lead changes to start the game, afterwards the Capers then took control with eleven unanswered points. The X-Men responded with an 8-0 run of their own, cutting the deficit to six points at the end of the first quarter. Tomas Legallis and Azaro Roker gave STFX the lead from beyond the arc when play continued, and continued to build their lead.
CBU were able to reduce their arrears from beyond the arc, but STFX's Jaydan Smith hit one just before half-time, making the score 48-40. An exchange of baskets opened the second half, after which STFX took a double-digit lead after a 7-0 run. CJ Bennett and Paul Watson tried to get CBU back in it, but Roker of the X-Men proved hard to stop on offence.
Osman Omar started to cut down the X-Men's lead, only for Avan Nava to restore his team's double-digit advantage short after the start of the fourth quarter. After a long cold streak where both teams played tough defence, STFX were leading by twelve with three minutes to go.
The Capers then did the impossible: scoring twelve unanswered points to tie the scores in the final minute of regulation. STFX's Dondre Reddick tried to put it to bed with a layup, only for CBU's Cooper Ward to do the same on the opposite end in the final seconds, sending the game to overtime.
The X-Men took the early advantage in OT, leaving the Capers to catch up, which they eventually did, capped off by Omar putting them up by one. Roker responded by hitting a three to put STFX up two, which was followed by a jump shot from CBU's CJ Bennett on the last possession. Legallis missed a last chance three and this game was not yet over.
SFTX took a five point lead in second overtime, courtesy of Reddick, Izaiah Ugoalah responded with a three for CBU to make it a two point game with two minutes on the clock. In the last few seconds, Ugoalah hit another three after Avan Nava put the X-Men up four, but there was not enough time for another chance at basket. The X-Men were finally able to breathe, they had finally captured the win and by a single point.
Between them, Omar and Ugoalah had eleven of CBU's fifteen total threes, as well as finishing with 34 and 23 points respectively. Meanwhile, Nava had 25 for STFX, who were led by Roker with 30 points as well as 20 total rebounds, a big part of the X-Men's 117-116 double-overtime victory.
Picture: Corey LeBlanc
