The Matchup
The 0-2 Memorial Sea-Hawks welcome the 3-time reigning AUS Champion Dalhousie Tigers (2-0) to town this weekend for the first Sea-Hawks home games of the season. The first game is scheduled for 8pm on Saturday night, followed by a Sunday matchup at 2pm.
Last Action
Memorial opened the season with a pair of losses to the Acadia Axemen, which included a Friday night loss at the buzzer on a Nick De Palma 3-pointer. The Sea-Hawks then dropped their Sunday matchup 76-65.
Dalhousie opened the season with a home-and-home matchup with the StFX X-Men, securing victories in both games by double digits.
By the Numbers
11.5 – The Sea-Hawks currently lead the AUS in STL/G and will need a strong defensive effort against a Dalhousie team averaging 94.5 PPG to start the season.
48.8 – Dalhousie is averaging a stifling 48.8% 3-point percentage after their first two games of the season. Memorial will need to put forth a strong defensive effort to try and disrupt the Tigers shooters.
4 – The Sea-Hawks and Tigers play each other 4 times this season, with both teams hosting weekend double-headers. Memorial can make an early statement on the season with home victories against the projected top team in the AUS.
Players to Watch
Daniel Gordon (Memorial) – The fifth-year guard from Ajax, Ontario will be a key contributor for the Sea-Hawks all season long. He currently leads the team in PPG with an average of 18.0 (7th in AUS).
Padraig Dawe (Memorial) – Dawe enters his second season with the Hawks as one of the anchors in the paint. He played a great opening weekend averaging 14 PPG and 5.5 RPG.
Sven Stammberger (Dalhousie) – Stammberger opened the season with back-to-back 35+ point games, which puts his season average at 35.5 PPG (1st in AUS). He enters the weekend averaging 63.6% from the 3-point arc.
Coach's Take
After dropping both games against the Axemen, Hawks head coach Peter Benoite expects another difficult match-up, but feels his team is prepared and looks forward to playing in front of the home crowd.
"It's always nice to play at home, and we are hoping the home crowd will give us a big boost this weekend. Dalhousie are very tough, showing no let down this year. We will have to play with a lot of discipline and focus and execute our game plan. This will be another strong test for us against one of the top teams. I believe we are up to the task, and I am expecting us to come out strong this weekend."