LOCAL SPORTS
University Sport
The X-Men are this year’s AUS football champions following a 25-17 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters in the Loney Bowl at STFX Stadium. A pair of second half touchdowns by AUS rookie of the year Malcolm Bussey helped lift the X-Men to their 15th overall conference title in team history. Bussey scored on a two yard rush late in the third quarter to give the X-Men back the lead in the game and added another rushing score from 10 yards out in the fourth. With the win, the X-Men advance to the U SPORTS Mitchell Bowl national semifinal in London, Ontario next Saturday where they will face the Western Mustangs.
In Hockey, the X-Men took a 3-0 lead and held on to defeat the Aigles Bleus 4-2 in Moncton, preventing a three game winning streak by the home team. The X-Men record is now 10-4-1.
It was a split decision as the Dalhousie Tigers visited Coach K Court for a pair of games on Saturday. The X-Women defeated Dal 70-55, led by Subway player of the game Kimberly Kingsbury with 21 points, 19 rebounds and five assists. The X-Men dropped to 4-4 on the season with an 85-70 loss to the Tigers, who hold first place in the AUS standings.
The X-Women and X-Men cross country teams competed at the U SPORTS national championship on the Plains of Abraham, hosted by the Universite de Laval. The host Laval squads won both national championship team banners. The X-Women came in seventh place overall in the 8K race. St. FX’s top runner was AUS champion Siona Chisholm who came in 13th place, earning U SPORTS second team All-Canadian status with her time of 29:39.1. The X-Men Cross Country team placed 15th overall. Jacob Benoit was the top X-Men runner in 34th place, finishing with a time of 25:43.3.
Today: X-Women Hockey vs Saint Mary’s, 2:00 pm at St. FX Keating Centre
At the Monctonian AAA challenge, The Novas doubled the Blues 6-3 on Saturday night, so they advance to their division final this morning against the Rangers. Game time is 11 am. The CB West Islanders were eliminated in the Playoffs, losing 1-0 to Steele Subaru. The Wearwell Bombers finished the tournament second in their group with a record of 1 win, no losses and 2 ties. The Weeks Majors finished second in their group, with two wins and a loss.
Maritime Junior: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers trounced the Amherst Ramblers 5-1.
NS Female U18: The Northern Selects doubled the West Reds 4-2 at the Hector Arena. The teams meet again in Pictou at 9:30am.
NS Junior: The Strait Pirates play against Eskasoni at 7, while the Scotians host the Bulldogs in Trenton at 6.
Rural League: St Croix 4 Outlaws 1, Heatherton 5 Pleasantdale 3
NATIONAL SPORTS
Make that 17 games in a row with a point for Connor McDavid. The Oilers captain extended his scoring streak with a first-period goal in Edmonton’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. McDavid also registered an assist. The Oilers scored two short-handed goals and one on the power play for their second victory in a row.
The Canadiens embark on a three-game road trip with a much-needed boost of confidence. Montreal snapped a four-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over the Predators. The only blemish was giving up a third-period hat trick to Nashville’s Matt Duchene. The Habs are on the road in Washington, Buffalo and Pittsburgh for their next three games.
Brad Gushue (GOO’-shoo) is off and running at Canada’s Olympic curling trials in Saskatoon. Gushue scored three in the 10th end for a 6-4 victory over Brendan Bottcher. In the other men’s draws, Mike McEwen topped Matt Dunstone 7-2; Brad Jacobs dumped John Epping 9-3; and Kevin Koe (KOO’-ee) routed Tanner Horgan 9-2. The trials determine who represents Canada in team curling at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The organizers of a youth tennis tournament in Beijing have released photos of missing tennis star Peng Shuai standing beside a court, waving and signing oversize commemorative tennis balls for children. The post by the China Open on the Weibo social media service makes no mention of Peng’s disappearance or her accusation that she was sexually assaulted by a former senior leader of the ruling Communist Party. The three-time Olympian and former Wimbledon and Paris Open champion had alleged earlier this month she was forced to sleep with a member of the party’s ruling Standing Committee.
Damian Lillard scored a season-high 39 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-111. C-J McCollum added 18 points and Norman Powell had 17. Portland improved to 8-and-1 at home. Philly’s Joel Embiid missed his seventh straight game after entering the N-B-A’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and the Utah Jazz triumphed over the Sacramento Kings 123-105. Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 14 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double. Utah won its third straight blowout and its sixth in a row against Sacramento.
Saturday’s Scores
NHL
Carolina 5 Los Angeles 4
New Jersey 5 Tampa Bay 3
Florida 5 Minnesota 4
Pittsburgh 2 Toronto 0
Boston 5 Philadelphia 2
Calgary 5 N.Y. Islanders 2
Montreal 6 Nashville 3
Arizona 2 Detroit 1 (OT)
Dallas 4 St. Louis 1
Edmonton 5 Chicago 2
Vegas 3 Columbus 2
Washington 4 San Jose 0
N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, ppd
CFL
Hamilton 24 Saskatchewan 3
Calgary 13 Winnipeg 12
NBA
New York 106 Houston 99
Indiana 111 New Orleans 94
Washington 103 Miami 100
Boston 111 Oklahoma City 105
Atlanta 115 Charlotte 105
Milwaukee 118 Orlando 108
Minnesota 138 Memphis 95
Portland 118 Philadelphia 111
Utah 123 Sacramento 105
MLS Playoffs
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia 1 NY Red Bulls 0 (ET)
Western Conference
Sporting Kansas City 3 Vancouver 1
Sunday’s Schedule (All Times Eastern)
NHL
Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 6 p.m.
Calgary at Boston, 7 p.m.
Toronto at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Vancouver, 8 p.m.
Washington at Seattle, 9 p.m.
Arizona at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.
NBA
Dallas at L.A. Clippers, 3:30 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Detroit, 6 p.m.
Denver at Phoenix, 8 p.m.
New York at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Toronto at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
MLS Playoffs
Eastern Conference
New York City FC vs. Atlanta United, 3 p.m.
Western Conference
Portland Timberwolves vs. Minnesota United, 5:30 p.m.
NFL
Baltimore at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Miami at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
San Francisco at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Washington at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m.
Arizona at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Dallas at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Pittsburgh at L.A. Chargers, 8:20 p.m.