Delorey’s late basket lifts Acadia past STFX

Acadia edged St. Francis Xavier University 69–67 on Saturday afternoon at Stu Aberdeen Court, sealing the win with a late basket in a tightly contested matchup.

The Axewomen leaned on their defence, recording eight steals in a game that featured five ties and five lead changes. Acadia erased a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter and finished with a 42–32 advantage in points in the paint.

Sarah Delorey led Acadia with 17 points and added 13 rebounds and three blocks. Bianca Helmig posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while also handing out seven assists. Taya Dixon scored 13 points and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. Samantha Russell added seven points and six steals.

Mikaela James led StFX with 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Shannon Neita recorded 11 rebounds and five assists. Reegan Bell finished with 10 points and two blocks, while Kristine Cooper added eight points and four steals.

The opening quarter was evenly played, ending tied 17–17. Acadia capitalized on early turnovers, converting five points off three StFX miscues, and shot efficiently from the free-throw line. StFX found success inside, but Acadia limited second chances with strong defensive rebounding.

StFX gained momentum in the second quarter by attacking the paint, outscoring Acadia 12–8 in close. Acadia controlled the glass, grabbing 12 rebounds, but struggled to find rhythm offensively. The X-Women closed the half with a 32–27 lead after forcing turnovers and limiting Acadia's shooting.

Acadia responded in the third quarter with a strong push. The Axewomen outscored StFX 25–18, dominating the paint and converting second-chance opportunities. Acadia collected six offensive rebounds and finished the quarter perfect from the free-throw line. Despite StFX connecting on four 3-pointers, Acadia closed the gap and entered the fourth quarter trailing 52–50.

The final quarter remained tight throughout. Acadia continued to attack inside, scoring 10 points in the paint, while limiting StFX to two. Defensive rebounding proved key down the stretch as the Axewomen secured nine boards.

With the game tied 67–67 and one second remaining, Dixon found Delorey cutting to the basket. Delorey finished the layup at the buzzer to lift Acadia to the two-point victory.

The Axewomen head back on the road next weekend, visiting Dalhousie on Wednesday night in Halifax for a 6 p.m. tipoff.