In Week 2 of the AUS women's basketball season, the UNB Reds played to back-to-back victories over the Memorial Sea-Hawks, allowing them to earn four straight wins.
The Reds scored an 88-53 win over the visiting Sea-Hawks Friday night in Fredericton. Jayda Veinot led the Reds with 27 points and was named the Tim Hortons Player of the Game. On top of Veinot's big night, Reese Baxendale and Katie Butts each had 12. Butts added a game-high 16 rebounds for the double-double. Hannah Green led Memorial with 12 points, including three three-pointers, and eight rebounds.
UNB then defeated the Memorial Sea-Hawks 85-73 on Saturday. Katie Butts led the charge for the REDS, delivering an impressive double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jayda Veinot maintained her excellent early season form, contributing 23 points as the Reds secured the win, pulling away in the late stages of the game. Rebecka Ekstrom led the Sea-Hawks with 19 points in the loss.
The UPEI Panthers and Acadia Axewomen also earned weekend sweeps, with the Panthers kicking things off by hosting the StFX X-Women Friday night. The Rainford sisters put on a show during Friday's home opener, leading the UPEI Panthers to a dominant 67-36 victory over the X-Women. Lauren and Aiden Rainford combined for an impressive 30 points, with Lauren pouring in a game-high 19 points with six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Aiden contributed a valuable 11 points of her own, also finishing with six rebounds, six steals, and five blocks. Devon Lawlor added 17 points for the Panthers, shooting an efficient 5-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. On the other side, Shannon Neita was the lone X-Woman to reach double figures, as she finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four steals.
Behind another strong defensive effort and a career night from Aiden Rainford, the UPEI Panthers secured the win with a 62-51 win over the StFX X-Women. The veteran forward scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while adding 18 rebounds for the double-double. Ekaterina Karchevskaya led the way for the X-Women with 13 points and five rebounds, while Katie Upham finished with 11 points, six steals, four rebounds, and two assists.
The Acadia Axewomen had a balanced output from their starters on Wednesday night as they topped the Dalhousie Tigers 90-64 to pick up their first win of the season. Lisa Bolander had a team-high 17 points, earning her player of the game honours at the end of the night, while Samantha Russell and Elizabeth Iseyemi finished with double-doubles. Russell had 12 points and 12 rebounds, with Iseyemi finishing with 16 points and 13 boards. For the Tigers, Simona Matic had a game-high 22 points and six assists in the loss.
The Axewomen then defeated the Tigers for the second time this week, winning by an 89-65 margin. Elizabeth Iseyemi led the Axewomen in the victory, finishing with 26 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. Dalhousie was led by Kaitlyn Ferrier, who finished with 17 points on the night.
Led by a monster performance from junior forward Kiyara Letlow, who finished with 31 points and 21 rebounds, the Cape Breton Capers scored a home-opening 84-67 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies Friday evening. Letlow, who was named the Chartwells player of the game for the Capers, played every minute of the early-season match-up with the defending conference champions. Along with Letlow's third double-double of the young season, Hailey MacLeod added 13 points, four rebounds, two steals and one assist. For the Huskies, Courtney Donaldson finished with a team-high 17 points, while Alaina McMillan added 12 points and seven assists.
The Huskies bounced back Saturday evening, defeating the Capers 80-52 in Sydney. Alaina McMillan, who finished with a game-high 20 points, while adding six rebounds and five assists, set the tone for the visitors. Joining McMillan in double digits for the Huskies were Katelyn Power, with 12, Courtney Donaldson (11) and Clara Gascoigne (11). For the Capers, Kiyara Letlow, with her fourth double-double in as many regular season games, finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Chermensa van la Parra scored a team-high 16 points.
Scores:
Wednesday, November 1
Dalhousie 64 at Acadia 90
Friday, November 3
StFX 36 at UPEI 67
Saint Mary's 67 at Cape Breton 84
Memorial 53 at UNB 88
Saturday, November 4
StFX 51 at UPEI 62
Memorial 73 at UNB 85
Saint Mary's 80 at Cape Breton 52
Sunday, November 5
Acadia 89 at Dalhousie 65
Standings
1. Cape Breton Capers (2-0)
2. Saint Mary's Huskies (2-0)
3. UNB Reds (2-0)
4. UPEI Panthers (1-1)
5. Memorial Sea-Hawks (1-1)
6. Acadia Axewomen (0-2)
7. Dalhousie Tigers (0-2)
8. StFX X-Women (0-2)