Following last weekend's losses to UNB the Sea-Hawks find themselves tied with the Varsity Red's at 20 points, in second place. The loss on Sunday made it three in a row for the Hawks but perhaps more importantly it highlighted a growing concern for the team. After a sound 93-70 beating of Saint Mary's to open up the second half, Memorial has given up 88, 89 and 93 points during their longest losing streak of the year.

That's a definite departure from the strong defense the Sea-Hawks were playing in the first half. Coming into the break, they were allowing a meager 79.7 points per game. On this three game skid, they're surrendering 90 per game. That trend needs to be halted and reversed if the Sea-Hawks hope to get back to the dominance they exerted in the first half. Coach Peter Benoite said as much this week. He felt that his team needed to "get back to a better commitment on defense" following the losses to UNB. Expect Benoite to have his team ready to play much stronger defense.

They're going to need a strong defensive effort as the suddenly first place Saint FX X-Men come to town. One of the best offences in the league, sporting a 62.2% effective field goal percentage, the X-Men have climbed to the top spot in the AUS largely because of their production on that end of the floor. They shoot the three alarmingly well as a team, and of course Kevin Bercy demands a ton of attention down on the block. He's a top five scorer in the AUS averaging 19.3 points per game. On top of that he's basically averaged a double-double this season, with 9.9 rebounds.

For Memorial, the defense is going to have to be complimented by a more diverse offence. Look for them to move the ball around and get back to their efficient style of play this weekend. The games go at 8:00 PM on Saturday, and 2:00 PM on Sunday, and you can catch them live at The Field House or on AUStv.ca.

By: Thomas Penney