Panthers hold off Huskies in 79-74 win

HALIFAX, NS—The Saint Mary's Huskies nearly erased a 22-point third quarter deficit but came up just short, as the UPEI Panthers defeated the Huskies 79-74 on Friday night at the Homburg Centre in Halifax. 

The visiting Panthers got off to a hot start, with a shot clock beating three-pointer by veteran guard Karla Yepez (Quito, Ecuador) giving them an 11-0 lead, which included four different starters hitting the score sheet in the first three minutes. Huskies guard Alaina McMillan finally broke the scoring drought with a lay-up, but guard Devon Lawlor (Millcove, PEI) came off the bench and scored five quick points to extend the lead to 16-2.  

The Huskies finally found a scoring run, trimming their deficit from 20-6 to 21-13 on back-to-back three-point plays and a traditional deep three by McMillan.  

Another three by Lawlor capped off the quarter, as she led the team with eight first quarter points off the bench and the Panthers took a 24-17 lead into the locker room.  

The second quarter saw more great play by the Panthers, beginning the quarter on an 8-3 run to extend the lead to 32-20. The Huskies began to chip into the lead with back-to-back threes by Sarah Forgie (New Westminster, BC).  

Once again, the visiting Panthers responded with big contributions from their bench, as Lawlor scored six second quarter points and fellow reserve guard Grace Lancaster (Fall River, NS) added five. Huskies guard Clara Gascoigne (Dartmouth, NS) was able to hit a late three to cut into the deficit, but the Panthers took a 44-29 lead into half. 

Lawlor was outstanding in the first half, leading the Panthers with 14 points including a trio of three-pointers, while AUS All-Star Lauren Rainford (Toronto, ON) chipped in nine points. The Panthers shot 52% from the floor, 58% (7/12) from beyond the arc, and had 19 points off their bench in the first half. 

The Huskies were led by McMillan who scored eight, and Forgie who scored six off the bench.  

The beginning of the third quarter was a defensive battle as nearly three minutes passed with neither team scoring, but the Panthers were able to snap the cold streak with a Sydney Cummins (Wolfville, NS) jumper, and a three-pointer by Alicia Bowering (Orangeville, ON) gave the Panthers their largest lead of the night, 53-31 with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter. 

The Huskies began chipping into the deficit as McMillan hit back-to-back threes. Reserve guard Aki Kobayashi (Halifax, NS) was also excellent in the third quarter, scoring five points off the Huskies bench, and the Huskies narrowly won the quarter by a score of 16-15, as the Panthers took a 59-45 lead into the final frame. 

The Huskies battled with the Panthers throughout the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the final frame, but weren't able to cut into the deficit, as a pair of free-throws by Rainford put the visitors up 74-60 with 2:49 to play. That's when the Huskies comeback shifted into full gear, beginning with a three-pointer by forward Lucina Beaumont (Fredericton, NB), and continued by back-to-back lay-ins by Gascoigne and guard Sophia Widmeyer (Dartmouth, NS). 

Another steal and score by Gascoigne cut the lead to 74-71, with the Huskies scoring 11 unanswered points in just 1:28 of game time.  

However the clutch shooting of Rainford proved to be the difference, as the star guard made four free-throws down the stretch and scored 10 fourth quarter points, including 8/10 from the free-throw line, and the Panthers held on for a 79-74 win. 

Panthers guard Lauren Rainford was named Subway Player of the Game with a game-high 25 points, and added a career-high 10 rebounds, along with five assists and three steals. Rainford ranks eighth in the conference in scoring, averaging 21.0 points per game.  

Devon Lawlor added 16 points off the Panthers bench, Alicia Bowering added 12 and three steals, and Aiden Rainford posted an 11 point, 10 rebound double-double. 

The Huskies were led by Alaina McMillan who scored 16 points and added three steals. Sophia Widmeyer and Lucina Beaumont each scored 13, with Beaumont also leading the team with seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. 

The Panthers win improved their record to 6-2 on the season. They'll be back in action tomorrow, as they take on the Dalhousie Tigers at 6 p.m. 

The Huskies loss snapped a six-game winning streak and dropped their record to 7-2 on the campaign heading into the December break. They'll resume the regular season on January 6th and 7th taking on the UNB REDS in Fredericton, with their next home games scheduled for January 21st and 22nd as they'll host the Memorial Sea-Hawks.