Fourth-quarter dominance propels Panthers to victory over Huskies

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers won just one quarter, but it was big.

Trailing by as many as 20 points, the Panthers (4-3) clawed all the way back to defeat the Saint Mary's Huskies 64-62 thanks to a fourth-quarter surge that saw them outscore their opponent 21-5.

Down five with 1:35 remaining, Lauren Rainford willed her team to victory. First, she converted an and-one, then followed it up with another drive to the basket, where she spun off a defender and laid it in for the game-winning score with six seconds to spare. Rainford finished with a team-high 16 points and three rebounds.

Game-winning basket by Lauren Rainford! pic.twitter.com/wSUhAGyBJF

— UPEI Women's Basketball (@UPEIWBasketball) November 17, 2023

"I turned down a few (shots), but all my teammates said you have to shoot that," said Rainford after the game. "So when the ball touched my hands down the stretch, I knew it had to be me to get it done." 

Rainford acknowledged that the team is fortunate to come away with a win and said they don't want to get in the habit of playing from behind.

"When we're in those positions, we have to fight back, but moving forward we have to be locked in and ready to go right away."

The Huskies (5-2) had three players in double figures, but only one of them scored in the fourth quarter. Alaina McMillan had a game-high 17 points with five rebounds and three assists. Clara Gascoigne finished with 15 points and four rebounds, while Courtney Donaldson chipped in with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. 

Things looked promising for the Panthers out of the gate, as they opened the game with a 5-0 spurt. Saint Mary's erased that deficit in a hurry and stormed in front 18-7 behind an 18-2 run. Gascoigne scored the final six points of the run, finding the open lane for back-to-back layups before drilling a mid-range jumper. 

UPEI closed the quarter with five straight points but trailed 23-15 after 10 minutes of action.

The Huskies were just as effective on the defensive end, where they held their opponent scoreless for the first 5:07 of the second quarter, which allowed them to open up a 33-15 advantage.

After MacMillan made it a 20-point game with a three-pointer, the Panthers ended the half on an 8-0 run to keep the game in reach 40-28. MacMillan led all scorers at the break with 13 points on three made triples. 

The two teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter, where the Huskies led 57-43. From there, it was all UPEI. After the bench delivered some strong minutes early in the fourth, the starters returned to finish the job. Devon Lawlor shined down the stretch, making all her shots and scoring seven of her 10 points. She also made her presence felt on the defensive end, adding a steal and a block. 

Then it was Rainford's turn. Rather than shying away from the pressure of being the go-to option, she embraced it. The fourth-year guard took matters into her own hands and made two key baskets to give her team the lead for the first time since the opening quarter. The Huskies had a chance to win it with six seconds remaining, but Gascoigne missed the contested layup to seal their fate.

The Panthers travel to Halifax next where they'll take on the Dalhousie Tigers Sunday afternoon, while the Huskies have a date with the St. FX X-Women next Friday.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek