Axewomen improve to 13-0 with win over X

Antigonish, N.S. - The league-leading Acadia Axewomen (13-0) remained unbeaten in AUS basketball play with an 88-62 road win over the StFX X-Women (2-9) Friday night at Oland Centre.

Spearheaded by seven points from guard Katie Ross (Bedford, NS), the visitors jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening 3:30 of the first quarter.

On a three-pointer in the closing seconds from Lauren Jodrey (Hantsport, NS), Acadia secured a 28-8 advantage after 10 minutes.

The teams came out cold from the field in the first five minutes of the second quarter, with both sides only scoring five points apiece.

With five straight points from Marcy Robinson (Bastrop, LA), including a hoop from the beyond the arc, the X-Women trimmed the disadvantage to 37-20.

On a buzzer-beating jump shot from Jenalle Vanhie (Dorchester, ON), the Axewomen took a 44-24 lead at halftime.

Robinson and Ross led all scorers with 11 points each at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Axewomen extended their lead to as many as 23 points, while taking a 62-39 edge heading into the final period.

In the opening minute of the fourth, X-Women fifth-year senior Kolbi Roper (North Vancouver, BC) drew her fourth foul and spent the rest of the quarter on the bench.

StFX battled back, but they could get no closer than a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

On an acrobatic three-pointer and a baseline jumper from Chanel Smith (Halifax, NS), the visitors took their largest lead at 80-47 with five minutes remaining in regulation.

In the final three minutes, freshman Kendra Smith (North Preston, NS) sparked the X-Women with a jump hook from the low post, followed by a blocked shot.

Ross, the top scorer in the contest with 18 points, led five Axewomen in double digits. She added four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot.

Paloma Anderson (Phoenix, AZ) contributed 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Vanhie - the Subway player of the game - chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot.

Smith added 13 points, along with seven assists, while Emily MacLeod (Fredericton, NB) meshed 10 points.

For the X-Women, Robinson - her team's player of the game - scored 17, while adding three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Lindsay Lessard (Waterloo, ON) scored 15 points, while collecting eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Shannon Hatch (Arzo, Switzerland) also hit double digits, with 10, along with three rebounds and two assists, while Chelsea Provo (East Preston, NS) added three points, seven rebounds and two assists.

For the game, Acadia shot 57.4 per cent from the field, while StFX connected on 36.4 per cent.

Both teams had 27 turnovers apiece.

The X-Women will return to action Tuesday, Jan. 26, when they travel to Sullivan Fieldhouse in Sydney to face the rival Cape Breton University Capers in a 6 p.m. start.

The Axewomen will be back on the court Saturday, Jan. 30, when they visit the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax to battle the Dalhousie Tigers at the first annual Varsity Showdown.