Sea-hawks have points to make in Halifax

Memorial hoopsters playing extra-valuable games against SMU this weekend

The Memorial Sea-hawks, with lineups including the conference’s leading scorers, are in Halifax today for crucial weekend series in Atlantic University Sport basketball play.

Both the Memorial men and women are taking on the Saint Mary’s Huskies in matchups this evening and Sunday afternoon. The games — as are all in conference this weekend — worth four points (in cases where teams face each other only twice in a season, the games are four-pointers). That means there is the potential for eight-point swings in the next couple of days.

The Memorial women (10-4) entered the weekend tied for first place with the Acadia Axewomen and two points ahead of the UPEI Panthers, who have a game in hand.

The Huskies (7-6) are in fifth place.

The Lady Hawks, who are already assured of a playoff berth, are led by senior guard Haille Nickerson, whose 25.3 points-per-game average is not only the best in the AUS, but also tops the entire country.

And with 354 points to date and six games remaining, Nickerson remains on pace to eclipse Michele Healey’s single-season scoring record of 467 in 1995-96.

Nickerson, who also is first in the conference in total field goals (131), free throws (79) and steals (35), is not the only Sea-hawk chasing down the lead in an AUS statistical category; Memorial point guard Jane Baird’s 50 assists are second most to Cape Breton’s Mackenzee Ryan, who has

52.

While the Memorial women know they will be playing in the conference playoff tournament, the Seahawk men still have work to do to be assured of a topsix finish and post-season berth.

They started the weekend in fifth place with a 6-8 record, four points up on Saint Mary’s (5-8), currently in seventh and on the outside looking in.

It helps that starters Jason Thompson and Cole Long returned in the lineup after both missed multiple January games with injuries.

Long leads the AUS in scoring (21.1 ppg) and is its most accurate three-point shooter (43.5 success rate). He is also in the top five in the conference when it comes to total rebounds (5th with 103), rebounds per game (5th, 8.6), total free throws (2nd, 60), total field goals (tied for 2nd, 83) and total blocks (5th, 11).

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The Memorial women’s volleyball team is also in

Nova Scotia this weekend; they have a three-game series against the Acadia Axewomen that began Friday night in Wolfville, N.S.

The Sea-hawks haven’t won in 14 games and won’t make the playoffs, but they do have a player who is a clear statistical leader in the conference. That’s libero Katie Wagar who is first in both total digs (285) and digs per set (5.28).

MEMORIAL ATHLETICS The Sea-hawks’ Cole Long is shown driving to the basket against UNB during an AUS men’s basketball game at the Field House in St. John’s earlier this season. Cole is the top scorer in the AUS and in the top five in another half-dozen statistical categories in the conference.

MEMORIAL ATHLETICS Libero Katie Wagar (4) has been a bright spot in what’s been a tough season for the Memorial Sea-hawks women’s basketball team.

MEMORIAL ATHLETICS Memorial’s Haille Nickerson (23) leads not just the Sea-hawks and AUS women’s basketball conference in scoring. She’s also first in the entire country.