ANTIGONISH, NS - The Saint Mary's Huskies earned a decisive 76-60 win over the STFX X-Women on Coach K Court on Wednesday night in AUS women's basketball action. The Huskies picked up 50 rebounds on the night, while shooting 31 per cent from beyond the arc, netting 13 three-pointers.
With the win, SMU's record improves to 11-2. Marlo Steenbakkers (Ottawa, ON) lead the way for the Huskies, netting 14 points and six boards, while Aliyah Fraser (New Glasgow, NS) had 14 points off the bench, including four triples. Courtney Donaldson (Kelowna, BC) added 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists for the Huskies.
Player of the game honours went to SMU forward Lucina Beaumont (Fredericton, NB) who had a huge game on defense, hauling in a game-high 16 rebounds (including 11 on defense) and four blocks, along with nine points, three assists and a steal.
For the X-Women, Ekaterina Karchevskaya (Mogilev, BY) lead all scorers with 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Avery Walker (Ottawa, ON) had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench for STFX, with Lauren Neeve (Oro-Medonte, ON) picking up eight points along with two steals and an assist.
The first quarter saw the teams battle back and forth, with the Huskies finishing off the first 10 minutes of the game with an 18-12 lead. The Huskies kicked off the second quarter with an 11-2 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter. The X-Women continued to battle, but the Huskies offence continued to produce scores, including former X-Women and current Husky Fraser, who had 11 points in the first half for the visitors. The half ended with Saint Mary's ahead 43-22.
The X-Women cut into the SMU lead in the first three minutes of the second half, outscoring the visitors 10-7 in the first three minutes. The teams continued to trade scores, but the X-Women held the advantage in the quarter, though they still trailed 62-48 with 10 minutes to go.
The home team opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run, cutting the lead to single digits. The Huskies withstood the late push, went on a run of their own, and took home the win.
The X-Women return to the hardcourt on Friday, January 26, when they travel to Sydney to play the Cape Breton Capers. The Huskies are home this weekend, when they will host the UPEI Panthers on Saturday, January 27, at 6 p.m.
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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics