Capers deliver first loss to U SPORTS No. 1 ranked Axewomen

WOLFVILLE, NS – The Cape Breton Capers handed the U SPORTS No. 1 ranked Acadia Axewomen their first loss of the season with a final score of 80–70.

Subway Player of the Game MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay, N.S.) led the Capers with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Acadia's Elizabeth Iseyemi (Dartmouth, N.S.) scored a game-high 21 points to go along with 6 rebounds.

After trailing at the half, Acadia put on a strong display in the third quarter. With 4:24 remaining in the third quarter, Haley McDonald (Port Williams, N.S.) dug in defensively to force a turnover that led to a transition layup by Sophie Atkinson (Yarmouth, N.S.).

In the next play, the Axewomen drew a charge that led to another basket giving Acadia a seven-point lead which would be their largest of the afternoon. This sequence fired up the Axewomen and it looked as though momentum might shift in their favour. However, the Capers responded and narrowed Acadia's lead back to just two points heading into the fourth quarter.

The Capers got a boost from Hannah Smith (Bedford, N.S.) as she poured on 10 fourth-quarter points. The Axewomen were unable to match this output, as they were outscored 24–12 in the final quarter.

Caper Kiyara Letlow (Toronto, Ont.) was reduced to 15 points, yet she led both teams with 10 rebounds. Hannah Smith matched MacKenzee Ryan's 17 points.

Sandy Saunders (Woodstock, N.B.), who was named the Player of the Game last night in the Axewomen's win pulled down 9 rebounds and added 14 points and three steals.

The loss drops Acadia to 4–1 on the season, while Cape Breton's win brings them back to a .500 record of 3–3.

The Axewomen will hit the road to take on the Dalhousie Tigers at 6:00 pm this Friday night, while the Capers will return home to host the UPEI Panthers also on Friday night.

RECAP BY: Ryan Wallace, Acadia Athletics