Sanford’s 30 points lead Mounties to win

Mounties control every facet of game in commanding 58-point win over DAL AC Rams

Mount Allison’s men’s basketball Mounties ended their six-game losing streak with a 110-52 win over the Dalhousie AC Rams. They took care of business at home against a Rams team still in search of its first win of the season. The game went as expected for the Mounties, who will look to use this game to build momentum as they head into the final six games of the season. The Mounties led this game wire-to-wire, playing solid, fundamental basketball and intense defense to put the notion of an upset out of the question within the first few minutes. Coach Duane Starratt set the tone early, implementing a full-court press to start the game.

The Mounties took advantage of the fixture to rest key starters Alex Chisholm and Adam Spurrell, and limit the minutes of the others. However, 21 minutes were all Bradley Sanford needed to effortlessly score 30 points, on 11-14 shooting, 4-5 being from three-point range, and was a perfect 4-4 from the line. Sanford was the clear standout player of the game, finding his rhythm early and never looking back. Other Mounties who regularly do not play many minutes took full advantage of their expanded roles. The physical Kellen Duke, who isn’t regarded for his scoring ability, recorded 10 points. Another key contributor was Jeongwoo Park, who recorded six rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes of action, more than double his average minutes per game.

As a team, the Mounties resisted the urge to coast, playing a great game throughout and sticking within the structure of their offence. As a team, the Mounties shot 53.3 per cent, were 7-15 from beyond the arc, and hit 23-29 free throws. Perhaps the Mounties’ most impressive statistic was their low turnover rate—they forced 22 from the Rams but ceded only seven themselves. A statistic that Coach Starratt will appreciate the most was the low number of turnovers. Mt. A only turned the ball over seven times but forced the Rams to commit 22 turnovers. 

The Rams were true to form, and are still in search of their first win. Their lone bright spot was the play of Neel Amin, who recorded a double-double, with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Amin played all 40 minutes, as the Rams only entered the game with three eligible substitutes. The Rams had to finish the game without head coach Andrew Barnhill, who failed to keep his emotions in check and was ejected from the game after his second technical foul.

The game went as predicted for the Mounties, who showed that despite their record of 5-9, they are still a team to be reckoned with. They will look to follow up this easy victory with another win in their penultimate home game against the University of King’s College on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.

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