Recap The Court

Photo: SMU Huskies

Jacob Smith

The SMU Huskies women’s basketball team entered the 2023-2024 AUS season as the reigning AUS champs and the likely favourites to repeat. With their first game being a home opener against the team they saw in the championship, the Acadia Axewomen, a statement was going to be made by either side and on Thursday night it was the Huskies by a score of 74-62.

The Huskies are a team with great chemistry and a lot of experience, and at each point in the game, one of their four stars can step up to keep the team ahead, making them a hard team to get a hold of. To start the game against the Axewomen, it was the defence of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Clara Gascoigne and the scoring of Lucina Beaumont giving the Huskies the early edge.

SMU got steals due to getting in passing lanes on the perimeter and their transition game finding trailing runners to the rim kept Acadia off pace as the Huskies held onto a 17-16 lead going into the second quarter.

On the side of Acadia, Elizabeth Iseyemi was a constant force offensively to keep Acadia in the game, and seven points in the second from Iseyemi made it a 38-32 SMU lead going into halftime.

The second and third quarter featured the third star for the Huskies, Courtney Donaldson and her ability to create her shot around the rim. Donaldson scored 10 points in the middle two quarters and was a constant impact player for the Huskies. Her points came at an important time in the game as Acadia put a bigger emphasis on picking up in the half court and slowing down SMU’s quick offence.

As Iseyemi scored another 11 points in the third quarter, the Huskies held onto a slim 54-50 lead, and it was time for their all-star point guard to put the game away. Alaina McMillan has shown she is one of the best guards in the country, and all you have to do is watch her 13 fourth quarter points in this game to see why. When Acadia was constantly answering back, Alaina kept her foot on the gas and whether it was a three, or a mid range, she always had an answer and pushed the Huskies out to a comfortable lead they could close the game with.

SMU is going to be a problem this year, and Iseyemi alongside Bianca Helmig makes Acadia a team that will be in any game. The season just kicked off but this game had middle of the season feelings to it.