STMU beats Lakeland in First Championship Game

Kicking off the ACAC Men's Basketball playoffs the 3rd-seeded Saint Mary's University Lightning matched up against the 2nd-seed Lakeland College Rustlers.

The Lightning came out strong in the first quarter behind the play of Brock Dewsbery. The Lightning grew their lead to double digits, but the Rustlers closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run in the final two minutes to cut the deficit to 21-18.

The Rustlers continued their run into the second quarter with a total of 15 unanswered points to take a 4-point lead. The Lightning finally got on the board with a pair of free throws a couple of minutes into the quarter but wouldn't end their field goal drought until the 6:36 mark. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter leaving Lakeland with a 45-43 edge going into halftime.

Moving into the third quarter the teams remained neck-and-neck with seven different lead changes in the quarter and neither team able to go ahead by more than three points. The Rustlers held onto a 1-point edge at 65-64 going into the final frame thanks to a 9-point quarter from De'Andre Anderson.

Lakeland came out firing in the fourth going on a 13-3 run to match Saint Mary's largest lead 78-67. Unfazed, the Lightning answered right back with a 10-0 run in under two minutes to get back within a point. The teams continued to trade baskets with Lakeland going ahead 84-81 with just a minute to play. But Saint Mary's clutched up in the end to win 87-84 after Lakeland missed their game-tying attempt.

Player of the game honours were awarded to Lakeland #13 Abdul Al-Tamimi and Saint Mary's #7 Brock Dewsbery who led all scorers with 27 points. The Lightning advance to play the winner of the Lethbridge Kodiaks and the Northwestern Polytechnic Wol