Capers edge out Panthers 60-59 to complete weekend sweep

By Thomas Becker

It wasn't pretty, but the Cape Breton Capers grinded their way to a 60-59 win over the UPEI Panthers Saturday night. 

Both teams relied on their star player to lead them to victory as Cape Breton's Osman Omar and UPEI's Elijah Miller went toe-to-toe. Miller scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the decisive fourth quarter, while Omar countered with nine of his game-high 29 points. But it was an Ibrahim Gosselin-Diawara three-pointer in the final minute that sealed the win, as the Panthers failed to execute in their final three possessions. 

UPEI's Jonas Kessler finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for the double-double, while Caper CJ Bennett had 11 the other way.

Kessler and Omar opened the game scoring five apiece before a Kamari Scott triple put UPEI ahead early. After three-pointers from Kessler and Miller extended the lead to 16-8, the Panthers went cold the rest of the quarter and scored just two points in the final five minutes, which allowed the Capers to get within three, 18-15.

Cape Breton (2-4) continued to shut down UPEI (3-3) in the second quarter where they held them to just six points on 18.8 per cent shooting. Omar single-handedly outscored the opponent with eight of his team's 18 points in the frame, as the Capers carried a 33-24 advantage into the break. 

Kessler kickstarted the offence early in the second half with four straight points, which led to a 10-0 run that pulled the Panthers ahead 34-33. The back-and-forth affair continued for the remainder of the third quarter before a Glen Cox heave from half court tied the game at 45-45.

That play fueled the Panthers, who opened the fourth on a 4-0 run on layups by Miller and Cox. After Cape Breton tied it up, Miller drilled a deep three and followed that with a smooth layup after carving up the defence to pull ahead 54-49.

Moments after the Capers tied it up again, Miller connected on his third triple of the night, but Omar responded with one of his own to keep it knotted up at 57. That's when Gosselin-Diawara banked a three-pointer for the go-ahead score and the eventual win. 

The Panthers will play their first of three road games to close out the first semester when they travel to Wolfville to take on the Acadia Axemen Friday night.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan