X-Women hold off late Dalhousie rally to remain undefeated

HALIFAX, NS - The STFX X-Women extended their perfect start to the AUS basketball season, fending off a fourth-quarter comeback to edge the Dalhousie Tigers 68–66 Saturday night at the Dalplex.

After Dalhousie raced out to a 14-2 lead to start the game, the X-Women rallied to take a 21-19 first quarter lead. The Blue and White were up by four, 38-34 at halftime, before building up a 57–45 advantage through three quarters.

The Tigers surged late behind hot perimeter shooting and tied the game at 66, making it a one-possession game in the final minute. The X-Women held their composure down the stretch and freshman Mikaela James sank the game winning shot with three seconds to play to secure their fourth straight win.

Forward Lauren Neeve turned in another efficient performance with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, hitting 4-of-5 from the floor and going 6-of-9 at the line. James also scored 16 points with a pair of threes and three assists, while Shannon Neita recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards.

Off the bench, Ava MacNutt added nine points and five rebounds, and Abby Mercer matched Neita on the glass with 10 rebounds of her own. The X-Women dominated the paint and the glass, outrebounding Dalhousie 42–25 and scoring 19 second-chance points.

Dalhousie's Madelyn White led all scorers with 21 points, including three triples, while Melina Collins added 15 and Simona Matic chipped in 13 with six assists. The Tigers shot 40.7% from the field and a strong 39.1% from three-point range, but struggled to match STFX's inside presence.

Despite forcing 19 StFX turnovers and scoring 25 points off those mistakes, the Tigers couldn't overcome the X-Women's 30–20 edge in the paint and 19–3 advantage in second-chance points.

StFX returns home on Wednesday, November 5^th to host the Acadia Axewomen in a 6:00 pm on Coach K Court.

-30-