CHARLOTTETOWN - The StFX X-Women (0-1) opened the AUS basketball regular season with a razor-thin 66-65 road loss to the UPEI Panthers (1-0) Friday evening.  

Veterans Kolbi Roper (North Vancouver, BC) and Lindsay Lessard (Waterloo, ON) led the X-Women in scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Roper added a game-high 15 rebounds for the double-double, while chipping in four blocked shots, two assists and two steals.

Guard Courtney Kilyk (Fonthill, ON) contributed five points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for the blue and white, while forward Kim Taylor (Toronto, ON) notched nine rebounds and six assists.

The Panthers held a 17-12 after the first quarter and were up 37-32 at halftime. 

The teams were tied 63-63 with 19 seconds remaining in regulation, when former X-Women guard Anne Kiberd (Halifax, NS), who scored a game-high 33 points, made what turned out to be the game-winning lay-up. She was also five-for-nine from three-point range.

Jane MacLaughlan (Fortune, PEI) also hit double figures for the Panthers, with 12 points.

From the field, the X-Women made 41.5 per cent of their shots, while the Panthers hit on 35.7 per cent.

The X-Women also out-rebounded the home team 42-30.

The teams will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 7 for the second game of a weekend doubleheader. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

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