Axewomen top Capers, hold second spot in AUS

The Acadia Axewomen defeated the Cape Breton Capers 75-62 on Friday night at Stu Aberdeen Court in front of 578 fans.

Samantha Russell led Acadia with 22 points, including eight field goals and two three-pointers, while adding nine rebounds and six assists. Bianca Helmig contributed 17 points, making six field goals and one three-pointer, and recorded six assists. Sarah Delorey was efficient with 19 points on nine shots, including one three-pointer, and added two blocks. Lisa Bolander led the rebounding effort with 11 boards and chipped in 11 points, including three three-pointers. Bianca Minelli contributed five rebounds and three assists.

Kiyara Letlow paced Cape Breton with 24 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. Hailey MacLeod added 12 points and five rebounds, making five of 12 field-goal attempts. Chermensa Van La Parra provided seven assists along with eight points and three rebounds, while Hannah Smith recorded three blocked shots and three three-pointers for a total of nine points.

The Capers led 23-20 after the first quarter, capitalizing on efficient shooting. Acadia, despite taking 25 field-goal attempts to Cape Breton's 19, made only nine baskets. However, the Axewomen dominated in the paint, scoring 14 points to the Capers' six, and led in rebounding 13-7, generating nine second-chance points.

Acadia took control in the second quarter, outscoring Cape Breton 22-13. The Axewomen continued to assert themselves inside, scoring 12 points in the paint while holding a 19-7 rebounding advantage. Russell played a key role on both ends of the floor as Acadia built a nine-point lead at one stage.

Despite shooting just 3-for-18 in the third quarter and going 0-for-5 from three-point range, Acadia held on to a slim advantage. The Axewomen relied on free throws and strong defensive rebounding to maintain their lead, while Cape Breton struggled with efficiency, making just three of 16 field-goal attempts but hitting two three-pointers and six free throws.

Acadia pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cape Breton 23-12. The Axewomen shot 9-for-15 from the field, including three three-pointers, and added two blocks and three steals. Russell and Minelli played key roles down the stretch, helping Acadia extend its lead to as much as 15 points.

The Axewomen will return to action Sunday at 2 p.m. when they host Dalhousie.