Diggs, Gabriel lead Huskies to 81-74 road win over Sea-Hawks
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Mary's (11-8, 11-8) | 19 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 81 |
|
Memorial (9-10, 9-10) | 17 | 9 | 23 | 25 | 74 |
ST. JOHN'S, NL - Saint Mary's guards Jayrell Diggs and Marc-Denault Gabriel each scored 20 points, leading the Huskies to a 81-74 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks in Atlantic University Sport men's basketball action on Friday night at the Memorial Fieldhouse in St. John's, NL.
The first quarter saw the Huskies get off to a hot-start, opening up a quick 8-0 lead off three-pointers from guards Jayrell Diggs (East Preston, NS) and Jonas Maerz (Rosenheim, Germany), and a lay-in from guard Marc-Denault Gabriel (Montreal, QC). The Sea-Hawks battled back and were able to cut into the deficit, with the Huskies taking a 19-17 lead into the second quarter.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��
— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) February 16, 2024
Hot start for the Huskies as they Diggs, Maerz and Gabriel get them off to an early 8-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/Qyl8dbaxz8
The second quarter was when the Huskies started to pull away. Led by the stroke of Jayrell Diggs, who had 14 first half points including a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc, Saint Mary's outscored Memorial 22-9 in the period. The surplus was 41-26 at the half, as the Huskies stiffling defence held the Sea-Hawks to a season-low first half scoring total.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��
— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) February 17, 2024
Jayrell Diggs is on fire! 14 first half points and the Huskies lead the Sea-Hawks 41-26 at the half! pic.twitter.com/YJRkOuAazC
Memorial showed signs of life in the third quarter. Chipping away at the lead, Emanuel Ring (St. John's, NL) effortlessly sank a three-pointer that cut the deficit to seven. Ring finished 19 points, 16 of which came after the break, but the Huskies took a 61-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��
— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) February 17, 2024
Jonas Maerz knocks down the tough jumper! Huskies lead the Sea-Hawks 61-49 after three quarters! pic.twitter.com/n70OkpIJYg
The Huskies took control of the match in the early portion of the fourth quarter, growing their advantage to as many as 15. Guard Shae-Linton-Brown (Toronto, ON) took over down the stretch, scoring 11 fourth-quarter points and securing the 81-74 Huskies victory.
HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��
— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) February 17, 2024
Shae Linton-Brown hits the dagger three as the Huskies defeat the Sea-Hawks 81-74!
With the win, the Huskies improve to 11-8 and will look to clinch a first round bye as they finish the regular season tomorrow night in a rematch against the Sea-Hawks! pic.twitter.com/Ov0Hh9pV4A
The Huskies were led by guards Jayrell Diggs and Marc-Denault Gabriel who each scored 20 points, with Gabriel adding a game-high nine rebounds. The Sea-Hawks were led by a game-high 25 points from guard Flynn Boardman-Raffet (London, UK), while Emanuel Ring added 19 points and forward Nicholas Tuff (St. John's, NL) chipped in 13 points.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 11-8 on the season, currently tied atop the standings and clinching a playoff berth in the AUS Men's Basketball championship. The Sea-Hawks loss drops their record to 9-10 on the season, and they'll look to clinch a playoff spot in the tight standings tomorrow. The two teams will finish off the regular season with a rematch on Saturday, Feb. 17 in St. John's, NL, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. AST.
Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics
Photos by Udantha Chandraratne / Memorial Sea-Hawks Athletics
