Panthers clinch playoff spot in win over St. FX

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers are postseason-bound.

With a dominant fourth-quarter surge, the Panthers (9-6) pulled away from the St. FX X-Women for a 72-62 victory Saturday night, locking in their playoff spot. With just one game separating them from a quarter-final bye, they now turn their attention to climbing even higher in the standings.

The Panthers were powered by their experienced trio of Lauren Rainford, Grace Lancaster, and Devon Lawlor, who combined for 46 points, including 21 in the decisive fourth quarter. Rainford led all scorers with 22 points, adding three rebounds and two blocks. Lancaster was efficient, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting while chipping in five rebounds and two assists. Lawlor rounded out the dominant performances with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. 

St. FX (7-8) found contributions from their bench, as Ayla White posted a team-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. Ekaterina Karchevskaya led the starters with 13 points and four rebounds, while Shannon Neita had a near double-double with 11 points and eight boards.

The X-Women set the tone early, racing out to an 8-2 lead behind Karchevskaya's strong presence inside, where she accounted for four points. But the momentum quickly shifted after a UPEI timeout, as Rainford took charge, scoring six straight points to even the score at 8-8. The Panthers seized control from there, closing the quarter on a dominant 14-4 run to take a 16-12 lead into the second frame.

Lancaster ignited the second quarter with a three-pointer, and a tough and-one finish by Deborah Aboagye extended UPEI's lead to 22-12. However, the X-Women regrouped after a timeout, attacking the paint with purpose and rattling off a 7-0 run to trim the deficit to 22-19. The momentum continued to shift, and a few minutes later, Lauren Neeve sank two free throws to edge St. FX ahead 28-27. By halftime, the X-Women clung to a 32-31 advantage, with Neita pacing them with 10 points, while Lancaster led UPEI with seven.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle. With just over a minute left in the period, Lily Vrugteman converted a layup to put the Panthers ahead 47-46, but St. FX quickly answered, as Ali Olu's layup gave them a 48-47 lead heading into the fourth. 

Lancaster set the tone in the final frame, scoring five quick points before dropping a dime in the paint to Abby Miller for an easy bucket inside, pushing UPEI ahead 54-48 with 7:41 left. Three minutes later, it was Lawlor's turn to take over, scoring on consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 63-51. Rainford then sealed the win, pouring in nine of her game-high 22 points in the final 2:45.

The Panthers look to carry this success to Friday night's game against the UNB Reds as the push for the coveted bye intensifies.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek