Lauren Rainford reaches historic milestone in win over Sea-Hawks
It was a night to remember for Lauren Rainford.
By Thomas Becker
It was a night to remember for Lauren Rainford.
The UPEI Panther star reached 1,000 career points in Friday's 70-61 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks.
The veteran guard from Toronto needed just 17 points to reach the milestone, and she accomplished the feat in the first half, scoring 17 of her game-high 26 points. Rainford is now the eighth Panther to eclipse the scoring mark.
Rainford was quick to recognizing those who came before her, and set the benchmark of what it means to be a Panther.
"I got to learn from the best in Jenna Mae (Ellsworth), and even though it was tough playing against her in practice, she taught me a lot," Rainford said. "Just being able to step into a leadership role after she was gone just came natural for me."
Rainford didn't just score; she contributed in several ways, adding seven assists, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Helping the cause was Lauren's sister, Aiden, who recorded a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Grace Lancaster also reached double figures, scoring all 10 of her points in the second half.
Alana Short led the Sea-Hawks (8-9) in scoring with 19 points but needed 20 shots to reach the mark. She also added 11 rebounds for the double-double. Hannah Green was a rebound shy of a double-double and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Brooke LeDevehat had 12 points. Alyssa Jenkins chipped in with 11 points in the loss.
Short scored the game's first five points before LeDevehat connected on a three-pointer to put the Sea-Hawks ahead 8-0. Moments later, they opened up a double-digit lead on a LeDevehat layup which made it 18-8.
The rest of the quarter saw the two teams trade baskets as Memorial led 25-16. LeDevehat led all scorers with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, while Short had nine.
Down 11 early in the second, the Panthers (9-9) rallied with five straight points on a Lauren layup and a Sydney Cummins triple that cut the deficit to 29-23.
Following a timeout, Lauren drilled back-to-back three-pointers to pull UPEI within three, 33-30. Lauren then gave the Panthers a 36-35 lead on career points 999 and 1,000, which came off a layup from the left side. The home crowd immediately rose to their feet, acknowledging Lauren's impressive milestone.
"I wasn't expecting a lot, but it was nice to see that people were as happy about it as I was. It meant a lot."
The Panthers felt good going into the second half with the lead, but Green quickly put an end to those warm feelings, as she scored Memorial's first seven points of the half to pull them in front 42-37. With the Panthers down three midway through the quarter, Lancaster and Deborah Aboagye connected on back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 49-47. The two teams continued to trade blows as the Sea-Hawks carried a slim 56-55 lead into the fourth quarter.
With 6:40 remaining, Lancaster connected on a midrange jumper from the corner to give her team a 59-58 lead. That lead would grow moments later when Devon Lawlor stole the ball and found Lancaster leaking behind the defence for the easy lay-in.
It was that level of defensive intensity that secured the win for UPEI. In the fourth quarter alone, they held Memorial to just five points on one made field goal, as they came away with the 70-61 win.
The two teams are back at it Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek
