1992-93 Season Overview
When the season began, there were rumblings that in the course of the previous years, the St.F.X. Men's basketball team had failed to capitalize on golden opportunities to claim the W.P. McGee Trophy as the top university men's basketball team in the country. On paper, this appeared to be true; the X-MEN had lost several key individual players over the years and had some major positions to fill on this years roster.
The pre-season commenced with mixed reviews. Opening up the 1992-1993 campaign with an impressive 88-87 win over the Nova Scotia All-Stars, the X-MEN were winless at the St.F.X. Invitational for the second straight year, dropping decisions to UPEI (95-82)and to St.Mary's (94-75). St.F.X. then traveled to Waterloo, Ontario, to take part in the prestigious Naismith Classic, one of the premier basketball tournaments in Canada. The three time de fending champion X-MEN registered victories over Laurentian (87-77) and Waterloo (70-56), only to lose 69-65 to the Winnipeg Wesmen in the final.
Making the most of their experiences in the pre-season, the Blue and White began the regular season strongly and jumped out to a 10-3 record, good enough to be ranked sixth in the country.
But then the wheels started to fall out from under the X-MEN. Starting with a controversial 66-65 loss to the UPEI Panthers, the cager squad lost five of the next six games to put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. The team beat the Dalhousie Tigers 71-67 at the Halifax Metro Centre in what was probably one of the most exciting in any regular season game in years.
Heading to the AUAA playoffs the X-MEN were matched up with the UCCB Capers. With the scores knotted at 69 a piece and only five seconds remaining, Brian Lee managed to get the ball to Jason hirtle who threw a desperation three point Hail Mary shot scoring at the buzzer to give St.F.X. a thrilling 72-69 victory and a birth in the AUAA Championship game.
The AUAA final with St.Mary's was one of the most lopsided scores in recent memory, with St.F.X. capturing it's first AUAA crown in twelve years by virtue of an 84-71 victory.
In the CIAU quarter final with the number three seeded Calgary Dinosaurs, the X-MEN power forward Guy Mbongo played the game of his life and led St.F.X. to a hard fought 83-80 victory.
St.F.X. played their best defense of the season en route to a 65-54 semi-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gee's.
The CIAU Championship final featured the X-MEN versus the McMaster Marauders. Despite trailing 25-16, St.F.X. regrouped to win 72-64 to capture it's first ever CIAU Championship.
The pre-season commenced with mixed reviews. Opening up the 1992-1993 campaign with an impressive 88-87 win over the Nova Scotia All-Stars, the X-MEN were winless at the St.F.X. Invitational for the second straight year, dropping decisions to UPEI (95-82)and to St.Mary's (94-75). St.F.X. then traveled to Waterloo, Ontario, to take part in the prestigious Naismith Classic, one of the premier basketball tournaments in Canada. The three time de fending champion X-MEN registered victories over Laurentian (87-77) and Waterloo (70-56), only to lose 69-65 to the Winnipeg Wesmen in the final.
Making the most of their experiences in the pre-season, the Blue and White began the regular season strongly and jumped out to a 10-3 record, good enough to be ranked sixth in the country.
But then the wheels started to fall out from under the X-MEN. Starting with a controversial 66-65 loss to the UPEI Panthers, the cager squad lost five of the next six games to put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. The team beat the Dalhousie Tigers 71-67 at the Halifax Metro Centre in what was probably one of the most exciting in any regular season game in years.
Heading to the AUAA playoffs the X-MEN were matched up with the UCCB Capers. With the scores knotted at 69 a piece and only five seconds remaining, Brian Lee managed to get the ball to Jason hirtle who threw a desperation three point Hail Mary shot scoring at the buzzer to give St.F.X. a thrilling 72-69 victory and a birth in the AUAA Championship game.
The AUAA final with St.Mary's was one of the most lopsided scores in recent memory, with St.F.X. capturing it's first AUAA crown in twelve years by virtue of an 84-71 victory.
In the CIAU quarter final with the number three seeded Calgary Dinosaurs, the X-MEN power forward Guy Mbongo played the game of his life and led St.F.X. to a hard fought 83-80 victory.
St.F.X. played their best defense of the season en route to a 65-54 semi-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gee's.
The CIAU Championship final featured the X-MEN versus the McMaster Marauders. Despite trailing 25-16, St.F.X. regrouped to win 72-64 to capture it's first ever CIAU Championship.
