Rainford sisters lead Panthers to win over UNB
With the conference as bunched up as it is, it’s imperative to take advantage of the four-point games, and that’s exactly what the UPEI Panthers did Thursday night.
By Thomas Becker
With the conference as bunched up as it is, it's imperative to take advantage of the four-point games, and that's exactly what the UPEI Panthers did Thursday night.
Led by the Rainford sisters, the Panthers—who started the game in fourth place—defeated the UNB Reds 73-64 to pull into a three-way tie for first place.
Lauren Rainford finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with three assists, three steals and two blocks, while Aiden Rainford contributed 15 points and eight rebounds. Sharpshooter Alicia Bowering had another efficient night, as she finished with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Karla Yepez also reached double figures with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Jayda Veinot led the Reds (9-6) with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Erin Ingalls reached double figures with 11 points and five rebounds.
For Yepez, it was an important day as the Panthers held their annual Shoot for the Cure night— a U SPORTS Women's Basketball breast cancer fundraising initiative to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
"I lost my grandmother to breast cancer, so it's definitely a special night," said Yepez, who dedicated this win to her grandmother. "The girls put a great deal of effort in organizing everything and raising money for this great cause."
UNB came out of the gate strong and carried the lead for most of the first quarter, but Sydney Cummins capped off a 5-0 run with a corner three to give UPEI (9-5) a slim 15-14 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
The close battle continued in the second quarter before UPEI went on another run to extend their lead. The Panthers outscored the Reds 11-6 in the final five minutes of the half. Lauren had five of those points and led all scorers with nine at the half, while Aiden had eight. Veinot was one of three Reds with six points.
Veinot came out of the break strong and connected on back-to-back three-pointers to give her team a one-point advantage. However, the Panthers responded with seven straight points to pull in front 42-36.
The Rainfords took over late in the third as the pair took turns scoring, pushing the lead to 53-46. After three quarters, they led 53-48.
With Lauren and Aiden on the bench, UPEI's reserves not only bought them time to rest, but they also added to the lead. The Panthers opened the quarter on a 9-0 run to make it 62-48, forcing UNB to regroup with a timeout.
The Reds went to the full-court press to get back in the game, and for the most part it worked as they forced several turnovers, but they just couldn't score on the extra possessions, which sealed their fate in the end. UNB managed to get within nine with 3:42 to play, but that's as close as they'd get.
The Panthers look to make it four straight wins when they welcome the Saint Mary's Huskies next Friday. The Reds, meanwhile, travel to Wolfville this Saturday where they'll take on the Acadia Axewomen.
Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan
