Pickard stars in 67-61 home win over Panthers

(ANTIGONISH, N.S.) - Reigning AUS and CIS rookie of the year Vanessa Pickard led the StFX X-Women with a game-high 24 points in a 67-61 win over the UPEI Panthers in AUS women's basketball action Saturday evening at the Oland Centre.

The sophomore guard from Riverview, N.B., who was named Subway Player of the Game, added five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots for the blue and white. Her 24-point effort was also a season-high.

Pickard scored five key points down the stretch, including a three-point shot, to give the X-Women a late six-point advantage in the hard fought victory over the Panthers.

The X-Women defense also stepped up in the fourth quarter, holding the visitors to just seven points.

The blue and white forced 28 turnovers by the Panthers.

Lia St. Pierre also hit double figures with 11 points, and in another all-around effort, the Moncton native also chipped in seven rebounds, six assists, seven steals and one blocked shot.

The X-Women led 32-29 at halftime.

Nikita Newman and Laura Power led the Panthers with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Amy Gough also hit double figures with 10.

StFX, with an 8-6 regular season record, will return to action Thursday, February 7th when they host the Acadia Axewomen at the Oland Centre.

The battle with the rival Axewomen will also mark the X-Women's annual 'Shoot for the Cure' fundraiser in support of breast cancer research and awareness. The X-Women will be wearing pink, and encourage fans to do the same in support of the worthy cause.

The teams will also be playing with a special pink ball adopted by the CIS for the Shoot for the Cure fundraisers held across Canada by member teams. Game time is 6 p.m.

Source: StFX Sports Information
Photo courtesy of Erica Roberts (www.ericahphoto.com)