WOLFVILLE, N.S. - The Acadia Axewomen held on to defeat the Memorial Sea-Hawks by a score of 81-72 on Sunday afternoon ending a two-game losing streak that opened a new decade.
It was another strong first quarter for the Axewomen in the second game of a double-header between Acadia and Memorial. While the Axewomen did not have an outstanding quarter in terms of shooting percent (10 of 23, 43.5%), they heavily outshot the Sea-Hawks thanks to their prowess on the offensive glass gave them an early lead.
After 10 minutes the Axewomen were up 21-14.
Memorial's Alana Short (Barrie, Ont.) made both her attempted three-pointers in the first quarter and added a layup for a total of 8 points in 10 minutes.
The Axewomen made two consecutive three-pointers to begin the second quarter, bringing their lead to 27-14.
Acadia's strong defense continued throughout the first half, holding the Sea-Hawks to under 15 points in both quarters respectively. The Sea-Hawks only made 9 of their 31 shots from the field (29%) and only 4 of their players found the scoresheet during that time frame.
The Sea-Hawks were down by a score of 38-27 at halftime.
Within the first 5 minutes of the second half, the Sea-Hawks were back within five, but the Axewomen returned with a run of their own and re-established their double-digit lead. Both teams had a high-scoring third quarter, with Memorial recording 20 and Acadia with 24.
The score entering the last frame read 62-47 in favour of the hometown Axewomen.
Both the Sea-Hawks and the Axewomen were trading baskets in the fourth quarter, but with the lead Acadia had created was difficult for the Sea-Hawks to gain any ground.
Memorial got into foul trouble late in the fourth, sending Acadia to the line several times. The Axewomen took advantage and built on their lead.
In the last few minutes, Memorial began to press and double-team the Axewomen, making it hard for the Acadia to get the ball up the court. The Sea-Hawks forced several turnovers and gave themselves a chance for a late-game comeback.
Unfortunately for the Sea-Hawks, their efforts would be too little, too late. Acadia was able to hold on and win by a score of 81-72.
The depth that Memorial enjoyed on Saturday was not as present on Sunday, with 52 of their points coming from 2 players. Haille Nickerson (Grimsby, Ont.) carried her team with 29 points and 7 rebounds, earning her a team Player of the Game award.
Rachel Clouatre-Trudeau (St. Jean sur Richelieu, Que.) was one rebound shy of a double-double and scored 17 points in the win for Acadia. Clouatre-Trudeau was recognized as the Subway Player of the Game.
In a post-game interview, Clouatre-Trudeau applauded her team's resilience.
"I feel it was really important to get this win. Sometimes you dig yourself a hole and you struggle to get back and today we did a great job. The game wasn't always perfect but we plowed through it and we regrouped as a team. We can now move the ball and trust everybody on the floor to play great defense and crash the boards."
The Axewomen will visit Dalhousie on Wednesday for a 4-point game, while the Sea-Hawks host Cape Breton University for two games next weekend.
Provided by Theodore Giesen, Acadia Athletics Communications