Axewomen offence too much to handle for Panthers in 86-63 win

By Thomas Becker 

The Acadia Axewomen got anything they wanted on the offensive end leading to a lopsided 86-63 win over the UPEI Panthers Saturday night.

Outside, inside, it didn't matter. The Axewomen (6-3) made scoring look easy, as they shot a blistering 50.9 per cent from the field. The starting unit inflicted the most damage, scoring all but two of the points. Four of the five starters finished in double figures, including a game-high 28 points from Samantha Russell, who also added nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Elizabeth Iseyemi recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Bianca Helmig and Lisa Bolander added 14 and 13 points, respectively. 

For the Panthers (5-4), Devon Lawlor did most of the heavy lifting, scoring a team-high 21 points on five made threes. The third-year guard also added five rebounds and a steal, while Lauren Rainford chipped in with 12 points, four steals and three assists. 

Acadia made their presence known from the start, as the offence exploded for 23 points and jumped to an 11-point advantage in the game's first six minutes.

The Panthers survived the furious attack and shut down their opponent for the rest of the quarter to trim the deficit to 23-16. Russell led the way with nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field, while Bolander added seven.

After UPEI made it a four-point game, Bolander drilled back-to-back triples to extend the lead to 29-19. That was just the start of their run, as they opened up a 47-23 lead behind a 24-4 surge that was capped off with consecutive three-pointers from Helmig. 

The Panthers closed the quarter on a 7-0 run but still trailed 47-30 at the break. At that point, the Axewomen already had three players in double figures, including Russell (14), Bolander (13) and Helmig (10).

The two teams traded baskets to start the third before Lawlor scored five straight points to make it a 58-42 game. However, Acadia responded with an 11-2 spurt to take control 69-44. After 30 minutes of action, they led 72-50.

With the game well in hand, the fourth quarter was more a formality than anything else, as Acadia cruised to the lopsided win.

Both teams will see the court again for more regular season action in the New Year.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek