X-Women use 4th quarter onslaught to outpace Bishop’s in Homecoming win

Antigonish, NS - The StFX X-Women basketball team delighted the home crowd with a convincing 71-57 victory over the visiting Bishop's Gaiters in a Homecoming exhibition game on Saturday. In a contest that remained close through three quarters, the X-Women used a fourth-quarter surge to secure the win.

The game opened with strong defense from StFX, as the X-Women held Bishop's to just one made field goal in the first quarter. However, despite the defensive intensity, the Gaiters managed to stay in the game thanks to a parade to the free-throw line, where they converted nine shots. This allowed Bishop's to stay close, with the X-Women holding a 17-11 lead after one quarter. Offensively, rookie Ayla White was a major spark off the bench, scoring 6 of her 8 points in the opening frame on an 'and-1' play and a three-pointer.

"In a close game like this, I wanted to bring relentless defensive intensity and make contributions offensively to help the team," commented the first-year guard. "Everyone embraced their roles, and it was a total team effort. I'm really excited about what's ahead for X-Women basketball and for everyone to see how we're growing as a team."

Bishop's responded in the second quarter, outscoring StFX 19-15 to cut the deficit to just two points at halftime. Both teams struggled to create separation, but StFX's defense kept them in the lead as they entered the break up 32-30. "It was a tough first half," commented StFX head coach Matt Spencer. "We turned the ball over 20 times before the break and looked timid at times offensively. We had some defensive lapses that allowed them to get into a bit of a groove in that second quarter. There were some bright spots for sure, but the first half isn't who we're aiming to be."

The third quarter saw the X-Women clamp down early. Third year wing Lauren Neeve continued her strong defense against Bishop's All-Canadian forward Victoria Gauna (8 points on 2/9 shooting with 9 turnovers). "Lauren is a bit banged up and found herself in some foul trouble, but she did an awesome job on one of the top players in the country. Ekaterina [Karchevskaya] did a great job on Gauna too, but when Lauren came to me before the game and told me she wanted that match-up I knew she would be locked in," commented Spencer.

After steadily building a lead throughout the third, the X-Women had a brief lapse that saw the Gaiters momentarily take the lead with a late 7-0 run. The X-Women responded with a Jaya D'Souza 3-pointer on X's final possession to take a slim 49-48 lead into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter, however, was where the X-Women found their rhythm. Led by a determined Krissy Cooper and Ekaterina Karchevskaya, StFX popped off for 22 points while holding the Gaiters to just nine. Cooper's all-around performance stood out as she finished with a near triple-double, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds, 8 steals, and 4 assists.

Karchevskaya led all scorers with 19 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists to her stat line. Spencer liked what he saw from his two stars, "those two carried the load for us. Krissy played with great energy throughout the game, but she found another gear when the game was on the line. Likewise, Kat was huge for us in the fourth. She looked confident and aggressive. We are really hard to guard when everyone is playing assertively like we did in the fourth."

In addition to the scoring outburst, the defensive intensity was turned up in the fourth quarter. "Abby Cameron did what she does, and we got some similar minutes from Mali [Straker] in the second half. Ayla, Shannon [Neita], Krissy – all of them forced turnovers down the stretch."

Newcomer Ofer Caspi chipped in with 10 points, providing timely baskets in crucial moments. The X-Women's other rookies also made an impact, with White contributing 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals, and Ali Oluyole adding 6 points and 2 rebounds, both shooting efficiently from the field and converting all their free throws.

Cooper summed up the day, "the first half was a bit rocky but we never took our foot off the pedal and we didn't let their runs shake us. When shots didn't fall, it was frustrating, but I'm glad that I was able to stay in the game and contribute on both ends."

The X-Women next see action on Friday, Oct. 11 when they take on the Brock Badgers at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.

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Recap courtesy X-Women Basketball