X-Women down Axewomen 73-60

ANTIGONISH, NS - Strong defense and long-range accuracy helped the STFX Women to a strong 73-60 win over the Acadia Axewomen Wednesday evening on Coach K Court. The win, their fifth in a row, pushed the undefeated X-Women to the top of the AUS standings. 

Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game Kristine Cooper hit four triples for 14 points on the night, along with seven assists. Abby Mercer had 16 points for the Blue and White. Taya Dixon for Acadia led all scorers with 18 points, while Sarah Delorey had 15 points for the visitors.  

The three-ball was key for the X-Women in the opening quarter, with fourth year guard Cooper hitting two and Abby Mercer adding another for the only field goals from the home team in the first five minutes.

Mali Striker added another from beyond the arc for the X-Women to give them a 14-8 advantage with two minutes to go. The Axewomen had six points from the free-throw line, and closed the gap to two points late, but another long range shot from STFX forward Lauren Neeve made it 17-12 to start the second quarter. 

Defense was the name of the game in the second quarter, with the X-Women creating 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Acadia worked to cut into the STFX lead and came within two points, but more threes from Neeve, Cooper and Ava MacNutt, kept the home side on top 37-27 at halftime. 

The Axewomen went on a 10-5 run to open the third quarter, and the teams continued to trade scores for much of the quarter. A four-point play from Neeve created some distance, but Acadia, spurred by strong play from Dixon and Delorey, made it a four-point game heading into the final quarter. 

The X-Women, thanks in part to a 15-7 run in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, pulled away again while shutting down the Acadia offense, and keeping the winning streak going. 

The X-Women head to Wolfville on Friday, November 7, for a rematch with Acadia. 

-30-

Recap courtesy Matt Draper, STFX Athletics