Ryan leads Capers to big win over Axewomen

By Corey LeBlanc

Sydney, N.S. – The Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers (7-6) scored an 87-73 win over the first-place Acadia Axewomen (9-3) in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) basketball action at Sullivan Fieldhouse on Friday evening.

In a fast-paced, low scoring opening five minutes, the sides were knotted at 6-6.

The early baskets were highlighted by a fast break finish by Kiyara Letlow (Toronto, ON), off a dish from Subway player of the game MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay, NS). Hannah Smith (Bedford, NS) started the tic-tac-toe play with a lead pass from her end of the court.

For the visitors, versatile forward Lizzy Iseyemi (Dartmouth, NS) – from just inside the three-point line – found All-Canadian Haley McDonald (Port Williams, NS) under the hoop, who caught the feed and then made a nifty reverse lay-up.

With the teams tied 11-11, the Capers ended the first quarter with seven unanswered points – highlighted by an old-school three-point play from Letlow and a key blocked shot by Smith.

Leading 17-11 at the start of the second quarter, CBU continued to surge, with Leandra Hersey (Quispamsis, NB) swishing a jumper in the lane, off one foot, while Ryan drained a basket from downtown.

Forward Sarah Delorey (Elmsdale, NS) snapped the 17-0 spurt by the Capers – one that stretched over two quarters – to make it 28-13.

A short time later, after back-to-back three-pointers from Chermensa van la Parra (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Ryan, the Caper lead ballooned to 35-17 – the largest of the first half.

The Axewomen answered with a three-pointer from McDonald and a sweeping left-handed lay-in off the glass from Samantha Russell (Dartmouth, NS) to keep within striking distance.

In the final minute, Ryan nailed a step-back three-pointer before McDonald made a lay-up in the final seconds to make it 42-31 for the Capers heading to the locker room at halftime.

McDonald, a fifth-year senior guard, tallied eight of the final 10 points for the Axewomen in the second quarter.

With dead-eye shooting and dominance on the interior, the Capers bolted out of the gate in the third quarter with a 16-7 run to take a 58-38 lead. Ryan and Smith keyed the start with consecutive baskets from beyond the arc.

Acadia tried to rally, but a basket and timeout were sandwiched between two more three-pointers from Ryan, including one pull-up from several feet behind the line.

The Capers led 75-50 after the three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Acadia came out determined to carve into the double-digit deficit, but they could only outscore CBU 12-8 to trail 83-62 midway through the stanza.

After four straight points from Bianca Helmig (Speyer, DEU), including a three-pointer, the Axewomen sliced the score to 87-68.

The Axewomen outscored the Capers 23-12 in the fourth quarter but did not threaten to finish the comeback.

MacDonald led the Axewomen with 21 points, while Helmig – with 10 – also scored in double figures, while Iseyemi and Russell added nine apiece. Delorey chipped in eight points.

Ryan led the Capers with a game-high 26 points, including a 5-for-8 evening from three-point land, while adding nine assists and five rebounds.

Letlow fashioned another double-double, with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Macleod added 16 points and eight rebounds. Darah Fleurgin – off the bench – contributed eight points and six rebounds, while van la Parra chipped in nine points and six assists. Smith finished with seven points.

The Capers shot 55 percent from the field, including 41 percent from the three-point line. They also outrebounded the Axewomen 40-28.

The teams will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 2 p.m., at Sullivan Fieldhouse.

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