X-Women move into 2nd place with big win over Acadia

ANTIGONISH, NS - The STFX X-Women gave their home fans something to cheer about with a big 67-52 win over the Acadia Axewomen on Coach K Court on Friday night.  

With the win, STFX (13-5) moves into a two-way tie with Acadia for second place in the AUS, with the top two teams in the regular season earning byes in the upcoming AUS championship tournament.  

Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game Ayla White had 19 points for STFX while Acadia's Bianca Helmig had 18 for the visitors.  

The X-Women opened the game with an 8-0 run, capped off with a three-pointer from Mikaela James, forcing an Acadia timeout three minutes into the game. Acadia replied with a 9-2 run of their own, but STFX kept piling on the points, and the teams switched sides with the Blue and White up 21-11.  

STFX again controlled the opening minutes of the second quarter, outscoring the Axewomen 11-5. Helmig picked up one of her league leading assists to become the all-time leader in dishes for Acadia, as the Axewomen fought back, but the score at halftime was 41-26.  

Both teams struggled to make baskets early in the third quarter, but five straight points from White in the fifth minute put the homeside up by 20 with five minutes remaining in the stanza. Shannon Neita hit a pair of layups after a short flourish from the Axewomen, and the 20-point lead remained heading into the fourth quarter.  

The final quarter was back and forth early, but Acadia couldn't make up the difference and the X-Women walked off the court with an important win.  

The X-Women close out the regular season with a pair of games next weekend, with the first being a matchup with the fourth place UPEI Panthers on Friday, February 13, at 6 p.m.  

Prior to the game the X-Women honored graduating senior athletes Mali Straker and Lauren Neeve, along with student therapist Caroline MacDonald.

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Recap courtesy Matt Draper, X-Women Basketball