Huskies win season series with a 76-66 win over host Axewomen

WOLFVILLE, NS- The Saint Mary's Huskies (8-4) picked up an important 76-66 win over the host Acadia Axewomen (8-4) in AUS women's basketball action on Sunday afternoon in Wolfville.

The win gives the Huskies a season-series 3-1 win that could affect the final AUS standings prior to the AUS championship scheduled for March 18-21. This year's Championship weekend will include all eight teams in the playoffs rather than the normal top six teams, but there isn't anything normal about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Huskies jumped out to an early 12-4 lead, but Acadia's Player of the Game Sandy Saunders stopped the run with a three-point bucket. Olivia Moller stopped another Huskies' run with a three-point shot, but Saint Mary's would prevail with a first-quarter 22-15 lead.

With seven Acadia turnovers in the opening frame, the Axewomen reduced their turnovers in the second quarter to four. The Huskies worked on the seven-point lead from the first quarter to a halftime 41-28 advantage on the back of Clara Gascoigne (Dartmouth, NS) who netted 14 first-half points.

Acadia improved play in the third frame with only three turnovers and six points from Samantha Russell and five from Elizabeth Iseyemi and Jayda Veinot, yet they were unable to make up the 13-point deficit. The Huskies recorded their largest lead of 20 points at the 1:33 mark of the third.

Entering the final quarter with a 64-48 lead, Saint Mary's faced a tougher challenge against the Axewomen who turned the ball over less and rebounded well. In an 18-12 fourth-quarter win, Acadia's Sarah Delorey came alive with a seven-point quarter combined with six and five from Saunders and Veinot respectively

A late-game six-point run closed the lead to 73-63, but Gascoigne ended all hope with a drained shot from the distant arc with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

No doubt, turnovers were the story of the game for the Axewomen, who handed over 20 turnovers compared to Saint Mary's 10. Acadia out-rebounded the Huskies 44-27 but fell short in field goal percentage and three-point percentage with 39.1% and 22.7%.

Gascoigne was named the Subway Player of the Game after recording 22 points. Teammates Lucina Beaumont (Fredericton, NB) and Alaina McMillan (Brantford, ON) added 18 and 16 points respectively.

Sandy Saunders and Samantha Russell each had 14 points and Jayda Veinot netted 12 points. Sarah Delory led all rebounders with 9 and drained 10 points.

The Axewomen host Dalhousie this coming Friday night – 6:00 pm, while the Huskies host Memorial next Saturday and Sunday.

Recap and Photos by Eric Cederberg / Acadia Athletics