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Sea~Hawks Women's Teams Soar with Thrilling Come From Behind Victories.
In a kick off to 2012, three court teams were in action Saturday and Sunday, with women's volleyball at home against the Cape Breton Capers, while the basketball teams faced the Dalhousie Tigers. The women's basketball team picked up two huge wins against the Tigers as each game was worth four points each. Down by 12 points after three quarters, it looked as if Sunday's game was over, but the Sea-Hawks rallied and were within 1 with just over 6 minutes to go. It was a back and forth affair, but the Sea-Hawks hung on for an 85-83 comeback win. In Women's Volleyball, the Sea-Hawks found themselves in a similar fate, down 2 sets to 1 and running out of time. In the 4th set, it looked like the Capers would roll to victory as the Sea-Hawks were down as many as 7 points. With playoff points and pride on the line, the team turned out a gutsy performance and forced a 5th set, which they won 15-12! Men's Basketball unfortunately couldn't pick up much needed points against Dalhousie and lost both games against the Tigers.
Women's Basketball
Jan 7th Sea-Hawks 85 Dalhousie 68
Jan 8th Sea-Hawks 85 Dalhousie 83
Coming off a relatively successful Christmas exhibition tournament series, the Sea-Hawks opened 2012 facing their long-time rival the Dalhousie Tigers. The Tigers were ranked 4th in league standings, while the Sea-Hawks held 3rd place overall. The Tigers were also welcoming the return of veteran Alex Legge, who had not played during the fall semester, but returned to the line up for the 2nd half of the season. The Sea-Hawks came out strong and were making good decisions on offense and defense. They were dominating the Tigers through the first period, which ended 24-11. The Sea-Hawks hot hand continued through the second quarter and Robyn O'Reilly drained a couple of threes to give the Sea-Hawks added scoring punch. The Sea-Hawks shot 18 for 30 from the floor in the first half, giving them the edge at half-time 46-35. The Tigers are a team that never goes away and they came out in the 3rd quarter determined to make a run. The Tigers were aggressive and on the attack and outscored the Sea-Hawks 17-12 in a third quarter rally to cut the Sea-Hawks lead to 58-52. Ally Forsey was dominant on the defensive boards and pulled down some timely rebounds off Tiger missed shots to give the Sea-Hawks the advantage. Megan Robinson controlled the pace of the game and had some key drives to the hoop late in the game. Robyn O'Reilly continued to find the bottom of the net and ended up with a game high of 24 points. The Sea-Hawks maintained control in the 4th quarter and the game ended Sea-Hawks 85 Dalhousie 68. Megan Robinson was named Player of the Game, with 15 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Starters Ally Forsey, Kim Devison and Emily Jameson all made significant contributions in the win and all round a full team effort helped the Sea-Hawks earn their first win of 2012.
In the second match-up on Sunday, the Sea-Hawks struggled from the start and looked a little out of sync. Dalhousie fresh off a loss was determined to give the Sea-Hawks a good run in their second match-up. The Sea-Hawks struggled to find their defensive rhythm early and the Tigers ended the 1st quarter with a 19-15 lead. The second quarter saw much of the same and it seemed like the Sea-Hawks were unable to make the effort to defend a Dalhousie team that was getting to the net and nailing open shots. The Tigers used the momentum to build a 46-34 lead. In the 3rd quarter the Sea-Hawks shot well and were moving better on defense, but Dalhousie held the hot hand and again outscored the Sea-Hawks, giving them a 14 point lead after three quarters. In what appeared to be a game the Tigers would win, the Sea-Hawks showed a different face in the 4th. Kim Devison hit an open shot to start the quarter and the Sea-Hawks looked more energetic. Ally Forsey came alive and dominated the boards and attacked the hoop drawing fouls and scoring baskets. The Tigers stayed around and hit timely shots, but the Sea-Hawks kept chipping away. Two huge 3 pointers by Robyn O'Reilly and Emily Jameson gave a momentum shift and with 6 minutes to go, the Sea-Hawks were down by one. Ally Forsey continued to use her size to dominate in the post and despite what looked like a rolled ankle, Forsey stayed in the game showing courage and pride leading her team to a tough fight down the stretch. The Sea-Hawks took the lead to a standing crowd with 3 minutes to go and held off a surge by the Tigers to take the win 85-83! It was a team that came together in the 4th quarter with something to prove that earned this victory and featured a gutsy performance by Ally Forsey who earned herself Player of the Game honors. Forsey finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals, while Robyn O'Reilly added 20 points and 5 assists. This win earned the Sea-Hawks another 4 points in the standings that will likely come in handy as the second half of the season unfolds . The team heads to Cape Breton next weekend and will take on the Capers, who opened the 2nd half of the season with a loss against Acadia in Wolfville.
Women's Volleyball
Jan 7th MUN 3 Capers 0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-23)
Jan 8th MUN 3 Capers 2 (16-25, 25-22, 15-25, 25-21, 15-12)
The Sea-Hawks finally took to the court for their first home games of the season hosting the Cape Breton University Capers. The Sea-Hawks and Capers had met in late October, but the Capers held advantage winning that match 3-2 in close sets. The Sea-Hawks looked good early, but the Capers were solid on the attack as well and the teams traded points early in the first set. Team captain Erin Bursey looked solid in her full return from injury and had some early points for the Sea-Hawks. Angela Peddle and Chantel Jones were strong in the middle blocking some key attacks from the Capers. The teams traded points in a tightly contested set, but the Sea-Hawks took the first set 25-23. The 2nd set was nothing different from the first as both teams went back and forth on the scoreboard. Samantha March had a couple of huge kills for the Sea-Hawks and Beth Forsey had some timely sets to set her teammates up on the attack. Jill Lynch also played well for the Sea-Hawks as the Capers continued to attempt to topple Memorial in the 2nd set. Memorial stayed strong and took a 25-20 second set win. The Capers seemed a little frustrated to be down 2-0 and started the third set strong. The Sea-Hawks remained solid on the attack and Erin Bursey and Samantha March scored some timely points down the stretch. Trading the lead throughout the 5th, the Sea-Hawks were able to gain an edge and finished the match with a 26-24 third set win much to the delight of the fans and the surprise of the Capers! The crowd went wild as the third set ended giving the Sea-Hawks their first victory of 2012! Samantha March had an outstanding match and was given Player of the Game honors!
On Sunday afternoon, the Sea-Hawks seemed a step behind and the Capers took full advantage getting out to an early lead. The Sea-Hawks struggled to find their rhythm throughout the match and the Capers took the first set 25-16. The second set was much of the same, but the Sea-Hawks found a way to move ahead even when down a couple of points. The Capers continued to be strong on the attack, but the Sea-Hawks blocking was rock solid. Samantha March and Erin Bursey continued to lead the attack and the Sea-Hawks won the 2nd set 25-22. The Capers regrouped and came back in the 3rd set, while the Sea-Hawks looked a little out of position and less confident than just a day before. The Capers scored in bunches and the set ended in the Capers favour 25-15. With a 2-1 lead and the momentum in their favour, it looked like the Capers might win the match in 4 sets. However, the Sea-Hawks had other plans. Despite getting behind early and trailing by as many as 7 points, the Sea-Hawks put themselves to work and slowly climbed back into the set. Solid defense and a strong attack gave the Sea-Hawk a couple of multi-point stretches and soon the 4th set was tied. When the pressure was on, the Sea-Hawks delivered and stole the 4th set from the Capers 25-21. With fire in their eyes and the chance to win the match on the line, the Sea-Hawks played a strong 5th set. The Capers were on the attack, but Chantel Jones and Angela Peddle peaked in the middle, while Jill Lynch punch to the block on the outside. The teams went back and forth throughout the set, but the Sea-Hawks took the pressure admirably and remained focused on the goal. The 5th set ended 15-12 and the Sea-Hawks had swept the Capers in their two match series. These points turned the Sea-Hawks playoff run officially on and the team has a great start to 2012. Erin Bursey was named player of the match and had 12 kills and 25 digs, while Samantha March was also outstanding with 11 kills and 25 digs.
Men's Basketball
Jan 7th Sea-Hawks 76 Dalhousie 89
Jan 8th Sea-Hawks 82 Dalhousie 92
In a match-up that would likely determine their playoff hopes, the Sea-Hawks Men's Basketball team faced an improved Dalhousie Tigers team that recently added an experienced transfer from Acadia in Casey Fox. The Sea-Hawks however kept their eye on the goal and were eager to play two solid games and make a move in league standings.
The first quarter saw the teams go back and forth and both teams had some quality scoring chances that they capitalized on. Jason Shepherd provided some early offense and the Sea-Hawks played a solid first quarter of defense. The teams went into the first quarter break with the Sea-Hawks down 18-16. Casey Fox found his offensive ways early in the 2nd quarter scoring 7 points in the first 2 minutes of the 2nd quarter. The Sea-Hawks got some scoring from deep, as Jason Shepherd and Mike Helsby drained back to back 3 pointers. The Tigers kept attacking the Sea-Hawks and breaking down the defense and late in the second quarter the Sea-Hawks committed a number of fouls that gave the Tigers the advantage, allowing them to score easily from the free throw line. At the half, the Sea-Hawks found themselves down eight as the Tigers led 44-36. In the third quarter the Sea-Hawks were able to cut the lead to within 4 with less than five minutes to play in the quarter. Jason Shepherd continued to score inside and out and led the Sea-Hawks offensively. The Tigers continued to play hard and the Sea-Hawks struggle to make shots from the foul line. In the 4th quarter, the Tigers broke the lead to double digits and the Sea-Hawks couldn't get any closer. Final score was DAL 89 Memorial 76. Jason Shepherd led the Sea-Hawks offensively with 29 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds, while Mike Helsby scored 20 points, had 8 assists and 4 rebounds.
On Sunday the Sea-Hawks came out solid in the first quarter and opened the first quarter even with the Tigers at 22-22. Heading into the second quarter, the Sea-Hawks continued to play well, however the Tigers got the edge and headed into half-time with a 5 point lead. The Sea-Hawks shot above 50% from the floor in the first half and were able to handle the Tigers on the boards. In a fast paced third quarter, the Tigers used their athleticism to get to the basket, while the Sea-Hawks went cold from the 3 point line. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Tigers held a 17 point lead. The Sea-Hawks were out to prove their pride and played a strong 4th quarter, outscoring the Tigers 22-15, but it was not enough and the Tigers took the series 2-0 with a 92-82 win. Jason Shepherd was named the Sea-Hawks player of the game again for the Sea-Hawks and finished with 19 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Mark Woodland had 20 points and 5 rebounds in the loss. The Sea-Hawks starting line up accounted for all but 11 of the teams points. The team will head to Cape Breton next weekend to take on the Capers.
Next Sea-Hawks Action
Women's Volleyball
Jan 14 6pm UNB @ MUN
Jan 15 11am UNB @ MUN
Men's Volleyball
Jan 14 8pm UNB @ MUN
Jan 15 1pm UNB @ MUN
Women's Basketball
Jan 14 6pm MUN @ Cape Breton
Jan 15 1pm MUN @ Cape Breton
Men's Basketball
Jan 14 8pm MUN @ Cape Breton
Jan 15 3pm MUN @ Cape Breton