Capers edge out Panthers 60-59 to complete weekend sweep
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.
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 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 percent 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, Miller connected on a triple, 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 CAPERS travel to Antigonish on Wednesday to play the X-Men. Catch all the action on AUSTV.ca. Tip-off is 8 pm.