Capers sweep weekend series against Panthers

By Thomas Becker

With leading scorer Alison Keough sidelined due to early foul trouble, the Cape Breton University Capers battled back from an early deficit in a 65-59 win over the UPEI Panthers Saturday night.

Keough was replaced by Hannah Brown, who scored 12 first-half points in the winning effort.

"Hannah Brown was fantastic for us tonight," said Capers bench boss Fabian McKenzie. "She was a big key in why we held in and kept battling."

With the weekend sweep, the Capers move to 4-2, while the Panthers stand at 2-3 after three consecutive losses.

"We had to battle to get that win. Anytime you go on the road and get two wins in this conference is fantastic."

Both teams struggled early from the field, but steady defence got the Panthers off to a 5-0 start, before a Natasha Roach three-pointer put Cape Breton on the scoreboard.

The Panthers extended their lead 14-5 after Keough was forced to sit with two quick fouls after just three minutes of play.

UPEI finished the quarter strong, forcing nine turnovers to take an early 20-11 lead. Kiera Rigby scored eight, while Tamara Tompkins added six in the opening frame.

The Capers found their shooting stroke in the second, slimming the deficit to two, behind a 14-7 run. But a put-back layup by Brown tied the game at 27.

Both teams traded baskets before the Panthers went on a small run to take a 35-32 lead at the half.

Cape Breton came out of the break strong, scoring eight unanswered points, grabbing their first lead of the game 40-35. Despite shooting just 17 per cent in the third, UPEI rallied to keep it at a one-point game.

An 11-2 run extended the Capers' lead 55-45. But a Panthers run cut the deficit to four, with six minutes remaining. The road squad's defence picked up in the final minutes, limiting UPEI offensively, leading to the 65-59 win.

Colleen Keane (18), Jalynn Skeir (12) and Keough (10) each scored double figures in the win.

Fatigue down the stretch may have been the Panthers' Achilles' heel, as the starters logged 175 out of a possible 200 minutes. The Capers were able to capitalize, outrebounding UPEI 45-23, leading to 21 second chance points.

"We're trying to play hard and we did again tonight, but eventually the minutes get to you," said Panthers head coach Greg Gould.

The Panthers look to turn things around next weekend when they face the 5-0 Acadia Axewomen.