Bell AUS Women's Basketball Championship: Panthers emerge victorious in Friday night thriller

UPEI to meet Acadia in Saturday night semifinal

HALIFAX, NS (Feb. 28, 2025) – In a Friday night thriller, the UPEI Panthers women's basketball team got the job done.

Deborah Aboagye scored with 0.9 seconds on the clock to lead her third-seeded Panthers to a tight 75-73 victory in their 2025 Bell AUS Women's Basketball Championship quarter-final contest against the No. 6 ranked UNB REDS.

"We stayed composed. We had to battle this entire game," said Subway Player of the Game Lauren Rainford in a post-game interview. "Things don't always turn out the way you want them to go but we stayed composed. I'm so proud of my team."

UPEI, who last won an AUS title in 2019-20, will advance to Saturday night's semifinal against the second-ranked Acadia Axewomen. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m.

"One game isn't going to cut it here at (the AUS Championships). We know we can't really look too far forward," Rainford added about her team's impending game with Acadia. "We had to deal with our matchup tonight and we did that and now we're looking to go watch some film and see what we did well."

Rainford, an AUS First Team All-Star, scored a game-high 26 points in the win – 18 of those coming in a first half in which UPEI looked every bit the higher seed they were coming into the game.

In the opening quarter, Rainford and teammate Abby Miller each scored eight points as the Panthers shot 61 percent from the field. While Miller cooled off a bit, Rainford did not – adding 10 more in the second quarter to help her team to a commanding lead at the break.

Instead of just rolling over, the REDS fought back.

Ann Bastien poured in nine points and AUS First Team All-Star Katie Butts chipped in with six in the third quarter as UNB went on a 23-11 run to erase the deficit and tie the game at 55-55 heading into the final quarter – the highlight being a Lillian Fuller three-point shot with just second left to tie the contest.

With things all squared up again, the teams traded baskets early on in the final frame. UNB pulled away a touch midway through the quarter when back-to-back buckets by Bastien and Butts gave the REDS a five point lead.

Now the chasers, UPEI's Devon Lawlor took matters into her own hands, draining a three-point shot, making a layup and then hitting another three to put UPEI back ahead 69-66 with 2:39 remaining.

After trading a handful of free throws, UPEI led 73-70 with four seconds left in the game, forcing UNB to call a timeout. Whatever head coach Erin McAleenan drew up worked as UNB inbounded the ball and found Bastien for a step back three to tie the game and draw a roar from the crowd.

Cue the timeout from UPEI head coach, Matthew Gramblin.

And like his counterpart McAleenan did so just seconds before, whatever Gramblin planned out on the white board worked.

Rainford inbounded the ball to Miller, who turned and headed to the basket. When she looked up, she spotted Aboagye wide open underneath the basket. Miller fired a bounce pass, Aboagye collected it and laid it in with 0.9 seconds left to stun the REDS and the crowd at Scotiabank Centre.

Bastien led the REDS with 20 points while All-Rookie Team selection Addie Mombourquette added 15. Butts was her usual consistent self with 14 points, 14 rebounds and an amazing seven blocks. 

Lawlor finished the contest for UPEI with 17 points.