Panthers clinch playoff berth with win over Saint Mary’s

By Thomas Becker

In the Darrell Glenn era, this is fastest the UPEI Panthers have clinched a playoff spot. 

After Sunday night's 89-82 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies, the Panthers (12-4) still have four games remaining and plenty to play for as a first-round bye is still on the line, despite the six-point advantage they have over the third-place Dalhousie Tigers. 

The Panthers had to fight for this win even after carrying a 55-42 lead into halftime. They were outscored 22-8 in the third quarter and went into the fourth down a point, but Elijah Miller made sure his team would come out on the winning side. 

"Today was a big win for us," Miller said. "Credit Saint Mary's for battling back. We kind of took our foot off the gas pedal but we found a way to close it out.

"Our team's battle-tested and we know how to ride the waves. Teams will make their runs, but we just have to play disciplined and play team basketball." 

The all-star point guard scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the quarter to lead the way. He also added seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. Dakelle Brooks finished with 19 points, while Isaiah Ankra had 14 points and seven rebounds. Cameron Brown continued his strong play and recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds with two blocks. 

For the Huskies, each starter reached double figures, with Jayrell Diggs leading the charge with 22 points. Shae Linton-Brown was an assist away from a triple-double, as he finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jonah Crowther had 14 points, while Dontae Mitchell and Jackson Enyinna finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively. 

In the final home game of his career, Brooks opened the game with three straight triples to give the Panthers an early 9-6 lead.

His teammates followed his lead and quickly doubled their opponent 20-10. On the ensuing possession, Brooks drilled his fourth three-pointer forcing the Huskies to call a timeout. 

The breather didn't help much as the Panthers took the first quarter 31-17 after Miller drained a triple at the buzzer. 

Jonas Maerz capped off a 9-3 run with a three-pointer to make it 34-26 early in the second. The two teams traded baskets for a while before UPEI looked inside for four consecutive layups, which pushed the lead to 53-34. However, the Huskies closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 55-42 at halftime.

The Huskies came out of the break with the defensive intensity that was lacking in the first half and were rewarded for their effort as they started the third quarter on a 10-2 run to get within five, 57-52. They held UPEI without a point for over six minutes before Brown ended the drought with a dunk.

But Saint Mary's kept coming and stormed in front 64-63 after Diggs connected on a triple before the buzzer.

The fourth quarter featured a series of lead changes throughout, but the Panthers secured the win with an 8-0 run in the final 2:50. Miller and Kamari Scott got it started with back-to-back layups. On the next possession, Brown gathered an offensive rebound with one hand and went up strong for the putback before Miller sealed the 89-82 win with free throws. 

Next up for the Panthers is a weekend double-header against the Capers, while the Huskies take on the Dalhousie Tigers Wednesday night.

Photo Credit: Janessa Hogan