Lancaster leads Panthers to 73-62 win over Huskies

HALIFAX, N.S. – UPEI wing Grace Lancaster scored a career high 31 points, including six three-pointers, leading the Panthers to a 73-62 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Friday night at the Homburg Centre in Halifax, N.S.

A back-and-forth first quarter saw the Huskies storm out to a quick 4-0 lead off baskets from Angong Jacob (Calgary, AB) and Kalli Georgoulias (Mississauga, ON), but Grace Lancaster (Fall River, NS) responded with three straight three-point makes to put the visitors up 9-4.

A steal and score by Saint Mary's guard Lauren Armstrong (Canberra, Australia), followed by a Georgoulias three cut the lead to 14-12, and Armstrong's sixth point of the quarter put the Huskies back ahead 16-14, but a last second three-pointer from Panthers guard Lindsay Black (Moncton, NB) gave the visitors a 17-16 lead after the first quarter.

The back-and-forth continued into the second, with Angong Jacob putting the Huskies back in front, before first year Panthers forward Regan Cornford (Chateuguay, QC) scored four straight points, followed by a three-pointer from guard Karla Benitez (Charlottetown, PEI) giving UPEI a 24-20 advantage. UPEI continued to rain in three-pointers, with guard Samantha Zoffranieri (Brampton, ON) hitting their eighth three of the first half, before Huskies guard Molly Healy (St. John's, NL) scored a buzzer-beating lay-up to finish the first half, with the Panthers in front 32-27.

Angong Jacob was a bright spot for the Huskies, scoring a game-high 12 points in the half, with UPEI's Grace Lancaster responding with 11 for the Panthers.

The third quarter was a high scoring affair, with the Panthers outscoring the Huskies 25-23. Angong Jacob continued her phenomenal individual play, hitting a trio of triples on her way to 13 third quarter points, while Lauren Armstrong chipped in seven points for SMU. But the Panthers seemed to answer every time, scoring three more threes, led by eight points from Grace Lancaster. A pair of free-throws from Jacob cut it to a four point game, 54-40, but the Panthers closed with a Lancaster jumper and a free-throw from guard Ella Simmons (Fredericton, NB) to take a 57-50 lead into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter began with Kalli Georgoulias hitting a three to cut the Huskies deficit back down to three, but Lancaster responded with a three of her own. The Huskies stuck around, with jumpers from Georgoulias and a three-pointer from Emily Dikdan (Sudbury, ON) keeping them within four points of the Panthers lead, 64-60. But the Panthers closed on a 9-2 run, with Lancaster scoring their final seven points to secure the 73-62 victory.

Grace Lancaster led the Panthers with a career-high 31 points on 11/24 field goals and 6/12 from three. Devon Lawlor chipped in 11 points, and Regan Cornford dropped 10, while Ingrid Khuong did everything but score the ball, hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds, and stuffing the stat sheet with four assists, three blocks and three steals.

The Huskies were led by a season-high 25 points from Angong Jacob, while Lauren Armstrong stuffed the stat-sheet from 15 points, eight rebounds, six steals and three assists, and Kalli Georgoulias added 10 points.

The Panthers win improved their record to 10-5 – good for third in the AUS standings – while the Huskies dropped to 4-9 – ranking fifth in the standings. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. at the Homburg Centre. GET TICKETS

Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics
Photos by Mona Ghiz / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics