Lawlor, Rainford lead Panthers past Reds in 71-59 win

By Thomas Becker 

The UPEI Panthers flexed their defensive muscles Friday night, smothering the UNB Reds en route to a 71-59 victory.

Devon Lawlor stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Lauren Rainford added 17 points and five steals in a dominant team effort on both ends of the floor.

However, the Panthers' defence was the story of the game. They the Reds (9-8) to 30.5 percent shooting while forcing 20 turnovers, which translated into 15 points the other way.

It was a back-and-forth affair early, with the teams trading baskets in the opening minutes. A sideline out-of-bounds play set up Rainford for an open three, giving UPEI (10-6) an 8-4 lead. The Reds battled back, trimming the deficit to 16-13 after Addie Mombourquette connected from three, but the Panthers carried a 19-13 lead into the second quarter.

UPEI came out firing in the second quarter with a 6-1 run, capped by a Lawlor three-pointer that forced UNB to burn a timeout. Lawlor stayed aggressive, slicing through the defence for back-to-back layups, stretching the Panthers' lead to 29-16. 

Then Rainford took over. The veteran guard connected on two mid-range jumpers, pushing the advantage to 35-19. Shortly after, Samantha Zoffranieri knocked down a three, making it a 21-point game. But the Reds refused to go away. Mombourquette hit back-to-back triples to cut the lead to 40-25 at the break. Mombourquette led all scorers in the first half with 18 points, shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, but UPEI's defence held her scoreless in the second half. 

The Reds battled back in the third quarter behind the imposing presence of forward Katie Butts, who powered her way to eight of her 14 points in the frame. UNB outscored UPEI 20-11, slashing what was once a 21-point deficit to just five, 50-45, heading into the final quarter. 

Lawlor set the tone early in the final quarter, slicing through the defence for a hard-fought layup to extend the lead to 56-50. Moments later, she swung momentum again by drawing a pivotal charge. On the ensuing possession, rookie point guard Naki Alonzo buried a clutch three to make it 59-50. 

With 3:26 remaining, Deborah Aboagye knocked down a soft jumper to stretch the lead back to 10, effectively putting the game out of reach, as UPEI came away with the 71-59 win. 

The Panthers will hit the road Saturday night to face the Dalhousie Tigers in Halifax.

Photo Credit: Janessa Vanden Broek