Axewomen remain in top spot with 11-0 record

Friday, Jan. 15
Acadia's Paloma Anderson caught fire from the field in the second half, carrying her team to an 80-62 win over the UPEI Panthers Friday night. The Axewomen remain undefeated and hold onto first place with an 11-0 record.

Anderson scored 24 of the team's 54 second-half points to help the Axewomen stay undefeated at 10-0.

"I thought she was fantastic," said Acadia's bench boss Len Harvey. "Her performance was really efficient."

Meanwhile, the 2-7 Panthers surrendered another first half lead, but are hoping to rediscover themselves after another tough loss.

UPEI showed promise early on, surprising Acadia with a 6-0 run, forcing them to call a quick timeout.

The Axewomen regrouped and countered with two easy baskets, trimming the deficit to two.

After Acadia made their run, a focused Panthers offence pushed their lead to seven, following a Katelynn Donahoe three-pointer. The two teams traded baskets, giving UPEI a 23-16 edge after one.

Both squads struggled from the field to start the second, but an Acadia 10-6 run cut the deficit to three, 29-26.

A strong Panthers' push at the end of the half, however, restored their seven-point lead, for a 33-27 advantage. Jane McLaughlin and Angenay Williams led the charge with six points each, while Anderson scored 10 for the visiting team.

Unfazed by the halftime margin, Acadia's offence came to life, outscoring UPEI 21-6 in the first seven minutes of the third. In the blink of an eye, a Panthers seven-point lead turned into a 48-39 disadvantage.

"We came out a little more relaxed and we started to shoot the ball like we normally do," said Harvey.
As the game slipped away, Panthers' Kiera Rigby countered with a three-pointer, keeping it at a single-digit game, 53-45, heading into the final quarter.

Anderson played a key role in the turnaround, scoring 16 points in the third on 5-of-8 shooting (3-of-3 from long range.).

Acadia's offence continued their confident play in the fourth, outscoring their opponent 27-17, for the 80-62 win.

Axewomen Chanel Smith scored 13 points, while teammate Alexandra Berry recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Williams finished with 14 off the bench for the Panthers, with Rigby adding 11 of her own.

Saturday, Jan. 16

Acadia's Alexandra Berry was nearly perfect Saturday night, helping her team come away with a 77-64 win over the UPEI Panthers, completing the weekend sweep.

Berry was a force on the inside, recording a monster double-double, scoring 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting while grabbing 17 rebounds.
"She's a load for anybody," said Acadia head coach Len Harvey. "She's tough and has been working hard on her game."

Acadia benefitted from strong defensive play in the first half, holding their opponent to 19 points, while scoring 38 of their own, in the determining half. 

"It's been a real grind for us these last two weeks, so we're glad to get these wins."

Unforced UPEI turnovers helped Acadia get off to an early 12-2 lead. The Panthers didn't do themselves any favours as their offence laboured, scoring just two baskets, giving the Axewomen a 16-6 first-quarter advantage. 

Berry shot 3-of-3 for 6 points to lead all scorers in the first.

The Panthers continued to get good looks in the second, but couldn't capitalize on the opportunities, allowing Acadia to extend their lead 27-10 midway through the second. Emily MacLeod capped off a strong Acadia half by drilling a three-pointer for the 38-19 advantage at halftime.

Berry continued her strong play, matching her first quarter production with another six points. While Angenay Williams scored nine off the bench for a Panthers squad that shot just 19 per cent from the field in the first half.

The Panthers made a conscious effort to feed the post in the second half, hoping to find some easy scoring opportunities. After finding some success, a refocused Acadia defence stepped up, taking away what UPEI wanted to do. At the end of three, they maintained their 19-point lead.

UPEI fought early in the fourth quarter, slimming the deficit to 13, but the road team was too strong down the stretch for the 77-64 win.

Axewomen Paloma Williams and Chanel Smith scored 15 and 13 points respectively in the win.

While UPEI's Katelynn Donahoe (22) and Williams (19) scored in double figures.

The Panthers continue their homestand Jan. 22 when they face the UNB Varsity Reds in a big four-point matchup. Game time is 6 p.m. at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, while the Axewomen hope to continue their hot streak and host the StFX X-Women this coming Wednesday night.

Provided by UPEI Communications - Thomas Becker