It’s time.
The Atlantic University Sport women’s basketball conference kicks off its championship weekend at Scotiabank Place in Halifax from Friday through Sunday with six teams competing for a shot at attending USPORTS nationals next month.
It all begins with a Friday twinbill, beginning at 1 p.m., when fourth seed St. Francis Xavier University X-Women of Antigonish tangle with Saint Mary’s University Huskies of the host city. At 6:30 p.m., third seed University of Prince Edward Island Panthers meet Newfoundland’s Memorial University Seahawks.
Both pennant-winning University of New Brunswick Reds and AUS coach of the year Erin McAleenan join second place Acadia University Axewomen of Wolfville, NS, have opening round byes.
UNB will face the winner of the X-Women-Saint Mary’s clash at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Acadia gets either UPEI or Memorial in the second semfinal at 6:30 p.m.
Championship Sunday game is set for 1 p.m.
The champion will advance to the Sun Life USPORTS Final 8 from March 5 to 8 at Universite de Laval in Quebec City.
The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association will be well represented on the Halifax hardwood this weekend.
AUS MVP Samantha Russell of Acadia played with the Halifax Thunder last season. She averaged 16.4 points per game with the Axewomen to lead the circuit. She was second in the AUS in steals with 70 and her 8.4 rebounds per game paced Acadia.
Russell averaged 14.2 points per game with the Thunder in 2025 and brought down 7.0 rebounds a game in almost 26 minutes of action a game.
Melina Collins of the Dalhousie University Tigers was named the AUS student-athlete community service award winner. She had a 4.3 Grade Point Average and volunteered with a number of organizations in Halifax. Collins, who is a four-time Academic All-Canadian and four-time Dean’s List member at Dalhousie, played almost 27 minutes a game for the Hornets, averaging 10 points per game.
Many familiar faces earned AUS first and second-team all star berths as well.
Russell joined Acadia teammate Bianca Helmig (Thunder), UPEI’s Grace Lancaster (Miramichi Her-Icanes) and UNB’s Katie Butts (former Fredericton Freeze) on the first team.
UPEI’s Devon Lawlor (Miramichi) and UNB’s Kylee Speedy (former Freeze) were members of the second team unit.
Halifax Thunder stalwart Samantha Russell is the AUS MVP with Acadia University Axewomen. (DW Photo)
