Christie leads Tigers in win over SMU

Recap by Lauren Phillips / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics

HALIFAX, NS - Dalhousie guard Malcolm Christie scored 34 points as the Tigers defeated the Huskies 99-78 on Saturday night at the Homburg Centre.

Fresh off a Huskies 79-76 win over the Tigers on Wednesday night, it was a different story on Saturday, as the Tigers controlled the pace all game and led by as many as 34 points in the third quarter.

The first quarter saw Tigers forward Matthew Smith (Halifax, NS) set the tone early, scoring five points and blocking two shots in the opening minutes, while guard Nginyu Ngala (Montreal, QC) led Dalhousie with seven points in the opening quarter.

Huskies forward Jackson Enyinna (Port Harcourt, Nigeria) muscled inside for a pair of first quarter lay-ups, but the Huskies struggled to find their shot, shooting just 26% (5/19) from the floor and 0/7 from beyond the arc, and the Tigers took a 22-11 lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter was when Tigers guard Malcolm Christie (Fredericton, NB) took over, shooting a perfect 3/3 from beyond the arc on his way to nine points in the frame. Huskies reserve guard Jonas Maerz (Rosenheim, Germany) came off the bench to score four points and make some key defensive plays, but the Tigers continued their torrid scoring pace, dropping 28 points on the Huskies to take a 50-38 lead into the half, with guards Christie (12 points on 4/4 FG) and Ngala (10 points, four assists) leading the way.

The third quarter was more of the same, with neither team giving much defensive resistance. Christie again paced the Tigers with 15 points in the period, including a trio of three-pointers, the last of which gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game, 75-43 with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter. Saint Mary's was able to cut into the lead in the final minutes of the quarter, thanks to guard Jayrell Diggs (East Preston, NS) who scored seven points in the last two minutes, but the Tigers took a 79-56 lead into the final frame.

The fourth quarter saw both teams empty out their bench, with the Huskies reserves combining for nine points, as the home team outscored the Tigers 22-21 for their only positive quarter of the night, but the final whistle blew on a 99-78 Dalhousie win.

Tigers guard Malcolm Christie was named Subway Player of the Game with a career-high 34 points on ridiculous shooting efficiency - 10/16 from the floor, 7/9 from three, and a perfect 7/7 from the free-throw line - he also added four assists and a steal. All five Tigerts starters had big nights, with Nginyu Ngala chipping in 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds, Matthew Smith contributing 12 points, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals, Sam Maillet (Moncton, NB) adding 10 points and two blocks, and Alex Ruiz (Valencia, Spain) posting nine points and 12 rebounds.

The Huskies were led by Jayrell Diggs with 21 points and five rebounds, while Shae Linton-Brown (Toronto, ON) added 17 points, five rebounds and three steals, Jackson Enyinna scored 12 points and eight rebounds, and Jonas Maerz contributed 12 points off the bench.

Three-point shooting was a major difference maker in the game, with the Tigers shooting 14/28 (50%), while the Huskies made just 7/25 (28%).

The Tigers win improved their record to 11-8 on the season. They'll finish the season on Saturday, Feb. 19, as they host the Cape Breton Capers at 8 p.m. at the Dalplex.

The Huskies loss dropped their record to 8-10 on the season. They too will next face the Capers on Friday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. at the Homburg Centre, in a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive.