Axewomen remain undefeated with win over visiting Panthers

WOLFVILLE, NS – The undefeated Acadia Axewomen defeated the UPEI Panthers 63 – 55 Saturday night at Stu Aberdeen Court.

Prior to the start of the game, Lizzie Iseyemi (Dartmouth, NS) was presented with the Bev Greenlaw Basketball award. Iseyemi also earned the title of Subway Player of the Game, posting an impressive stat line of 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.

Following the game, Iseyemi noted how competitive it is to play the Panthers.

"It was definitely a gritty win. This team is very competitive, and they are going to go after any loose balls, so we had to make sure that was our emphasis in practice – making sure we are all competing and not giving up the easy plays for them," said Iseyemi.  

UPEI's Lauren Rainford (Toronto, ON) led the way with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

Tonight's game was competitive, especially down the stretch, despite the Axewomen holding on to their lead through the majority of the game.

Acadia led by as many as 10 points in the first half and increased their lead to as many as 14 points halfway through the third quarter. The Panthers battled back throughout the fourth, making it a two-possession game with 3 minutes left in the game.

UPEI made it a focus to crash the offensive glass throughout the game, particularly off of missed free throws. This effort kept them in the game as they added 11 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds. Karla Yepez (Quito, Ecuador) showed to be strong on the boards securing 9 rebounds (4 offensive).

Acadia's ball movement (15 assists on 22 made shots) and performance at the line helped them secure the win in this contest. Haley McDonald (Port Williams, NS) led the Axewomen in scoring and assists tonight with 14 and 7 respectively.

The win brings Acadia to 3 – 0 on the season while UPEI falls to 2 – 1. The Axewomen continue their home stand in a rematch against the Panthers tomorrow at 2:00 pm.

RECAP BY: Ryan Wallace, Acadia Athletics