FREDERICTON, NB - The first place Acadia Axewomen clinched first place in their win over STFX last week and ended the regular season with a win against the UNB REDS in Fredericton. Extending their winning streak to seven, the Axewomen will hope for their winning ways to continue next weekend at the AUS Championship Final 6 Tournament held at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
The Axewomen were led by third year wing Elizabeth Iseyemi (Dartmouth, NS), who scored 23 points on 8 of 17 shooting, and was named Subway Player of the Game.
"I think we definitely battled," said Iseyemi. "It was a gritty team win, for sure. This could be a potential playoff match-up, so we were making sure we got things down and are ready for playoffs next week."
It took both teams a little time to settle into the game. The first basket wasn't scored until the 1:25 mark of the first quarter.
Led by former Axewomen Jayda Veinot (Port Williams, NS) and Katie McAffee (Lower Knoxford, NB), the REDS established a 21-18 first quarter lead.
McAffee sunk a three-point shot to start the second, boosting UNB's lead to five, but the Axewomen wouldn't allow the REDS to extend that lead.
Less than four minutes into the second, Acadia went ahead 31-29, their first lead of the game.
With the Axewomen ahead by five, Kylee Speedy (Fredericton, NB) hit a long three-pointer to pull the REDS within two, at 40-38, and that's how the teams went to the half-time break.
On Acadia's opening possession of the second half, Haley McDonald (Port Williams, NS) dropped a three-point shot of her own to push the Axewomen lead to 43-38, part of a 9-2 Acadia run.
In the fourth, the REDS were able to close the gap to just three-points, but couldn't get any closer.
With under a minute to play, Acadia led 80-75 and the Axewomen hung on to win 82-75.
Veinot finished with a game-high 24 points for UNB, while Speedy came off the bench to drop 14.
McDonald, like Iseyemi, scored 23 for Acadia. McDonald fell short by four 3-point baskets in breaking the AUS career record of 226 held by Jadranka Crnogorac (SMU).
The REDS finish the season with a 12-8 record, in 4th place in the AUS standings.
The Axewomen, who locked up top spot a while ago, finish the season 16-3.
Acadia has earned a first-round bye at next weekend's Subway AUS Championship tournament.
"We have to execute and be consistent," said Iseyemi. "In playoffs everyone is playing their best basketball and we have to make sure we're one of those teams doing that."
The REDS will face the Memorial Sea-Hawks in a quarter-final game scheduled for 1:00pm, Friday, at Scotiabank Centre, in Halifax. Acadia will play the winner at 1:00 pm on Saturday.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Cameron Fitch/UNB Media Services