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Huskies guard Nikita Kasongo drives to the hoop during the team’s 92-90 overtime loss against the CBU Capers in Sydney, N.S. on Nov. 28, 2021. (Photo by Vaughan Merchant / CBU Athletics)
Huskies guard Nikita Kasongo drives to the hoop during the team’s 92-90 overtime loss against the CBU Capers in Sydney, N.S. on Nov. 28, 2021. (Photo by Vaughan Merchant / CBU Athletics)
Posted: Nov 28, 2021

Huskies comeback effort falls short in overtime as Capers win 92-90

By Allan April / HALIFAX

The Saint Mary's Huskies men's basketball team head into the new year with a record of 5-4 after dropping an overtime thriller 92-90 to the Cape Breton University Capers in Sydney on Sunday afternoon.

The first quarter saw the Huskies and Capers match baskets early. A Jason Callaghan three-pointer with 2:15 remaining gave the Capers a 21-15 lead, their largest of the frame, but a Jayrell Diggs (East Preston, N.S.) three-pointer with 30 seconds left in the quarter cut it back to a one point game, with the Capers led 21-20 heading into the second quarter.

Late in the second, the Capers went on a 8-0 run powered by Osman Omar, and contributions by Mitchell Mereseau and Tyson Cato off the bench, to outscore the Huskies 19-10 in the second quarter and take a 40-30 lead into the half.

It was a balanced first half for the Huskies starters, with Qyemah Gibson (Nassau, Bahamas) scoring 8, and Jace Colley (East Preston, N.S.) and Nikita Kasongo (Chateauguay, PQ) adding 6 points each. The Capers were led by Omar, the AUS leading scorer, who netted 20 first half points. 

The Capers offence continued clicking in the third quarter, as the home team poured in 25 points, once again led by 8 from Omar. A Jason Callaghan three with 3:15 remaining in the third gave the Capers a 13-point lead, the largest of the game for either team. The Huskies were able to battle back slightly, and cut the lead to 65-54 heading into the fourth.

The Huskies chipped away at the Capers lead in the fourth quarter, going on a 11-3 run early to cut the lead to four points. The Capers were able to extend their lead to eight after Cooper Ward made a lay-in with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.

The Huskies went on a late run, with a Kasongo three ball, followed by four straight points from Gibson cutting the lead to 1, as the Capers led 75-74 with just over a minute remaining. 

After a Huskies offensive rebound, guard Dontae Mitchell (Vaughan, ON) hit a tough runner in the lane to put the Huskies up 76-75, giving the visitors their first lead since it was 15-13 in the first quarter.

But as he was able to do all night, Omar penetrated the Huskies defence and was fouled, sending him to the free-throw line with six seconds remaining. The all-star guard hit one of two, and Huskies guard Shae Linton-Brown (Toronto, ON) missed a desperation three as time expired, sending the game into overtime.

The Huskies struck first in the extra frame, with back-to-back buckets from Colley and Mitchell giving them a 4 point lead.

But they couldn't contain the combination of Omar and CJ Bennett, who scored 11 points in OT, including a combined 9/9 from the free-throw line.

The Huskies lack of depth (just six bench points) hurt them in OT, as Colley and Linton-Brown both fouled out. A Gibson three-pointer cut the Capers lead to one with just over 12 seconds remaining, and Callaghan went one of two from the line to put the home team up 92-90. 

The Huskies had one last chance to win the game, but a corner three from first year forward Jonah Crowther (Dartmouth, N.S.) rimmed out, and the Capers secured the win, 92-90.

All five Huskies starters scored in double figures and combined to score 84 of the team's 90 points. Qyemah Gibson led the Huskies with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Gibson heads into 2022 ranked fifth in the conference in scoring (19.2 points per game), and 6th in rebounding (7.9 rebounds per game).

Jace Colley added 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, Nikita Kasongo had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, Shae Linton-Brown had a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double, and Dontae Mitchell had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Capers were led by all-star guard Osman Omar, whose 41 points were the highest single game total in U Sports this year, and the highest AUS single game total in more than five years, since former UNB Reds guard Javon Masters scored 43 in a win against SMU on Feb. 5, 2016.

Omar, who was named Subway Player of the Game, leads the AUS with 25.3 points per game, and also contributed 9 rebounds and 3 steals to Sunday's Capers victory. 

With the loss, the Huskies fell to fifth place in the AUS standings heading into the new year. While they have a record of 5-4, tying them with the UPEI Panthers, UNB REDS and St.FX X-Men, the Huskies are 0-3 in crucial four point games this season.

Meanwhile the Capers win put them back in the playoff race, as they are currently in seventh in the standings with a 3-6 record and eight points.

Both Saint Mary's and CBU will participate in the 29th annual Rod and Joan Shoveller Memorial Men's Basketball tournament, hosted by the Dalhousie Tigers from Dec. 29-31 at the Dalplex.

The Huskies regular season will resume on Friday, Jan. 7, as they host the Acadia Axemen at the Homburg Centre, while the Capers will begin the second half of their schedule on Saturday, Jan. 8, as they host the Memorial Sea-Hawks in Sydney.