(Halifax, N.S.) – A strong first quarter helped pace the visiting Cape Breton Capers to a 68-55 victory over the Dalhousie Tigers on Friday night at the Dalplex.

The Capers were led by forward Alison Keough (Marion Bridge, NS), who finished with a game-high 24 points, off of 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Dalhousie's leading scorer was forward Robertha Charles (Montreal, QC), who netted 11 of her 13 points in the second half.

Cape Breton used utilized a full-court press in the first quarter to stymie many of the Tigers attempts to get into a rhythm offensively. On the other end, the Capers were able to get to the line effectively, with 11 attempts. The visitors shot 63.6 percent from the field in the quarter and led 21-9 – with eight points coming from Keough.

Dalhousie was able to close the gap towards the end of the second quarter, using a strong transition offence and aggressive inside presence to cut the Capers lead to 32-25 at the half, including an 8-0 run towards the final minute led by guards Diedre Alexander (Woodstock, NB) and Shalyn Field (Halifax, NS).

The Tigers ran into foul trouble in the third quarter and Cape Breton capitalized, pushing out to a 49-34 lead. Guard Valentina Primossi (Trieste, IT) and Keough were the benefactors, frequently driving the lane for buckets or shots from the charity stripe.

Dalhousie was able to outscore the Capers 21-19 in the final quarter, however it wasn't enough to mount a sustained comeback, as both teams went basket-for-basket towards the final five minutes of play in an up-tempo battle.

With the win, Cape Breton moves to 1-0 while Dalhousie falls to 0-1. The two teams will face off again tomorrow afternoon in the rematch at the Dalplex.

By: Mike Still, Dalhousie Athletics