Axemen qualify for Christmas Classic final
Host Three Oaks will play for Christmas Classic title on Saturday afternoon
By Jason Simmonds
Journal Pioneer
SUMMERSIDE – There will be a local flavour in the championship game of the 24th edition of the Three Oaks Senior High School Christmas Classic.
The host Three Oaks Axemen won twice on Friday to qualify for the title match of the senior AAA boys-calibre basketball tournament, which has attracted teams from P.E.I., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Axemen defeated the St. Malachy’s Saints of Saint John, N.B., 105-59 and the Amherst Vikings 74-63 to complete round-robin play atop the Green Pool 3-0 (won-lost).
“Knowing if they won this game (versus Amherst) that we will be in the final was a pretty good motivator,” said Axemen head coach Faro Halupa.
The Axemen’s opponent will not be determined until the round robin concludes on Saturday morning. Dartmouth sits atop the Red Pool at 2-0, and can clinch a berth in the final with a win over Fredericton.
The Three Oaks Axemen’s Spencer Haakman focuses on releasing a shot during Friday afternoon’s game against St. Malachy’s in the 24th edition of the Christmas Classic basketball tournament.
Three Oaks 105 St. Malachy’s 59
Sahib Singh and Logan Cameron each scored 17 points to lead the Axemen. Ethan Boyd (14), Rilind Musliu (13) and Justin Caron (13) also had big offensive contributions as Three Oaks took a 61-37 advantage into halftime.
Isiah Rose (17), Cole Healey (14) and Carter Acker (8) were St. Malachy’s top scorers.
“Like yesterday (Thursday), we had a little bit of a slow start, and we found our way to start putting the ball in the hoop,” assessed Halupa following the St. Malachy’s game.
“(Thursday) we played good for very short spurts, but (Friday) we sustained it a little longer, which is what you are hoping for. You are never going to play 40 good minutes, but you are wanting to play closer to 40, and (Friday) we were closer to 40 than (Thursday).”
Three Oaks 74 Amherst 63
Boyd contributed 22 points while Ben MacDougall chipped in with 14 and Vlersim Musliu added 13 to ignite the Axemen offence.
Aidan Devine (16), Sam LeBlanc (13) and Justin Milner (10) were the top point producers for Amherst.
Three Oaks was in front 31-27 at the half.
Amherst 101 Bluefield 63
Milner poured in a game-high 23 points for the Vikings, who received 14 from Frank Bacon and 13 from Nabil Mohammed.
Daniel Wills (17), Matt Mingo (11) and Matt Meenink (10) keyed Bluefield’s offence.
Amherst led 51-35 at the half.
Colonel Gray 89 Fredericton 82
Ryan Thompson’s 25-point effort led Gray to a hard-fought victory. Joe Thompson (17) and John Alex Vos (12) were Gray’s other top scorers.
Carter Markey (31), Alex Dunn (21) and Malcolm Christie (13) had big games for Fredericton, which trailed 48-44 at halftime.
Dartmouth 104 Colonel Gray 82
Dartmouth, which built a 58-36 lead at halftime, received a balanced offensive attack. Kyrie Thompson (11), Jonah Mosher (9) and Chris Johnston (7) were the top point-getters.
John Alex Vos (25), Ian Kerr (20) and Yahya Sefau (14) had strong offensive games for Gray.
Dartmouth 129 Charlottetown Rural 54
This game was never in doubt as Dartmouth led 75-30 at halftime.
Thompson (25) and Jaznian Beals (22) scored 20-plus points for Dartmouth. Thomas Hogan (12), Louis Monaghan (9) and Josh Bourque (8) keyed Rural’s attack.
Charlottetown Rural 92 Fredericton 79
Zack Wall (19), Bourque (18) and Will Vidito (14) were the top scorers for Rural, which took a 44-30 cushion into halftime.
Carter Markey had 26 points to spark Fredericton’s offence.
St. Malachy’s 90 Bluefield 56
Rose’s game-high 21 points paced St. Malachy’s while Josh Fall sank 20 to lead Bluefield.
St. Malachy’s took a 20-point advantage – 46-26 – into the intermission.
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At A Glance
A look at the 2017 Christmas Classic:
Pools
Green Pool
W L
Three Oaks 3 0
Amherst 1 1
St. Malachy’s 1 1
Bluefield 0 3
Red Pool
W L
Dartmouth 2 0
Colonel Gray 2 1
Charlottetown Rural 1 2
Fredericton High 0 2
Schedule
(Site in parenthesis)
Thursday’s Results
Three Oaks 96 Bluefield (52
Colonel Gray 69 Charlottetown Rural 66
Friday’s Results
Colonel Gray 89 Fredericton High 82
Three Oaks 105 St. Malachy’s 59
Amherst 101 Bluefield 63
Charlottetown Rural 92 Fredericton High 79
Dartmouth 104 Colonel Gray 82
St. Malachy’s 90 Bluefield 56
Dartmouth 129 Charlottetown Rural 54
Three Oaks 74 Amherst 63
Saturday’s Games
8:45 a.m. – Amherst vs. St. Malachy’s (Three Oaks); Dartmouth vs. Fredericton High (Athena).
10:45 a.m. – Third-place team in Red Pool vs. third-place team in Green Pool (Athena).
12:30 p.m. – Second-place team in Red Pool vs. third-place team in Green Pool (Three Oaks).
2:15 p.m. – Championship game: First-place team in Red Pool vs. first-place team in Green Pool (Three Oaks).
