X-Women earn key victory over Varsity Reds

Antigonish, N.S. - The StFX X-Women (2-6) defeated the UNB Varsity Reds (5-4) by a 68-61 score in AUS basketball action Saturday night at the Oland Centre.

The regular season match-up marked the home team's Shoot for the Cure fundraiser, which raised awareness and funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. 

In the first quarter, senior forward Lindsay Lessard (Waterloo, ON), with 12 points on five-of-six shooting from the floor, led the X-Women to a 19-11 advantage.

StFX finished the opening 10 minutes on a 7-0 run, keyed by a three-point basket from freshman guard Chelsea Provo (East Preston, N.S.).

Grace Wade (Moncton, NB) sparked the Varsity Reds, scoring five of their 11 first-quarter points. 

To start the second quarter, Provo completed an old fashioned three-point play - the hoop and the harm - to give the blue and white an 11-point edge.

After a slow start in the first five minutes, with the teams combining for only nine points, the Varsity Reds cut the X-Women lead to 23-20, on the strength of four consecutive points from wing player Hannah Currie (Collingwood, ON).

From that point, the X-Women made a 9-0 spurt, which included a steal and an assist from first-year guard Marcy Robinson (Bastrop, LA) to Provo, who made a nifty left-handed lay-up to make it 27-20. 

StFX extended the lead to 32-20, with Robinson meshing an acrobatic three-pointer and Provo a spinning lay-up off a fast break opportunity.

After four consecutive points from the Varsity Reds, including three from guard Chelsey Collette (Rothesay, NB), Lessard wrapped up the first-half scoring with a jumper just before the buzzer to give StFX a 34-24 halftime lead.

In a fast-paced third quarter, the X-Women started the second half, much like they ended the first, with Robinson picking up a steal on the first UNB possession, before finding Provo for another breakaway lay-up.

With a Shannon Hatch (Arzo, Switzerland) put back, the X-Women took their largest lead - 48-34.

On the strength of three three-pointers from Laura Kaye (Fredericton, NB), the Varsity Reds stayed close, but could not cut the X-Women lead to less than nine points before the end of the third quarter.

By the midway point of the fourth quarter, spearheaded by six consecutive points from Hatch, the X-Women surged to their biggest edge of the game - 62-44.

Keyed by a pair of Wade three-pointers, the Varsity Reds replied with a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 62-57, with less than 90 seconds left in regulation.

A pair of Lessard free throws with 42 seconds remaining, stopped the late UNB run, making it 64-57 for StFX.

The X-Women made key free throws in the final seconds to secure the victory.

Subway player of the game Lessard, with a game-high points 27 points, including 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, led the X-Women. Off the bench, Provo scored 16 points, while Hatch also hit double digits, with 10.

Lessard completed the double-double with 10 rebounds, while chipping in three assists and two blocked shots, with Provo contributing five steals, four assists and four rebounds.

Robinson finished with seven points, six steals, four assists and three rebounds.

Fifth-year senior Kolbi Roper finished with six points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot.

For the Varsity Reds, Wade and Kaye finished in double figures, with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Kaye added six steals, five assists and four rebounds, while former X-Women player Kiley DeLong (St. John's, NL) finished with seven points, a team-high eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The X-Women will be back on the court Wednesday, Jan. 13, when they host the rival Cape Breton University Capers, beginning at 6 p.m., at Oland Centre.

The Varsity Reds will return to action Friday, Jan. 15, at home, when they face the Dalhousie Tigers.

Opening tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Fredericton.

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