Men Panthers win nail-biter at home

UPEI basketball teams sweep four-point games vs. UNB

It came down to free throws in the end.

Down two with four seconds to spare, UPEI’s Elijah Miller went up for a threepoint shot and was fouled on the attempt. The third-year floor general stepped to the line and calmly connected on all three free throws to give his team a 49-48 lead.

On the ensuing play, UNB’s Norm Burry battled for an offensive rebound and was also fouled coming down with the ball. With a chance to tie or win the game, the Panther crowd did everything they could to rattle Burry, who missed both free throws in the end, as UPEI (10-4) came away with the hard-fought win.

Miller finished with a team-high 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Kamari Scott struggled from the field but still recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Marcus Barnes led the Reds (5-10) with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Burry had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

After the game, Miller talked about his mindset stepping up to the line for the three biggest free throws of his UPEI career so far.

“Knowing how big the game was, I had to have the mental toughness to go out there and knock them down,” he said. “I just trusted my routine, took a breath and relaxed.”

As for the win, Miller said it was big one, especially with how the last game ended between the two squads — a Hail Mary three for the Reds that sent the game to overtime where they later won.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “We lost four points on their court that we felt was stolen from us, and we wanted to get those points back.”

The Panthers managed to get those four points Jan. 26, but the game was anything but pretty. Each team shot below 30 per cent from the field and together combined to score 97 points.

After the game, Panthers head coach Darrell Glenn praised his team’s defensive grit.

“I thought we played great defensively even when our shots weren’t falling,” Glenn said. “To come out of a game like that saying you won is a huge momentum boost.”

WOMEN

With the AUS women’s conference as bunched up as it is, it’s imperative to take advantage of the four-point games, and that’s exactly what the Panthers (9-4) did Jan. 26

Led by the Rainford sisters, the Panthers — who started the game in fourth place — defeated the UNB Reds 73-64 to pull into a three-way tie for first place.

Lauren Rainford finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with three assists, three steals and two blocks. Aiden Rainford contributed 15 points and eight rebounds. Sharpshooter Alicia Bowering had another efficient night, as she finished with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Karla Yepez also reached double figures with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Jayda Veinot led the Reds (9-6) with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Erin Ingalls reached double figures with 11 points and five rebounds.

For Yepez, it was an important day as the Panthers held their annual Shoot for the Cure night — a U Sports women’s basketball breast cancer fundraising initiative to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

“I lost my grandmother to breast cancer, so it’s definitely a special night,” said Yepez, who dedicated this win to her grandmother. “The girls put a great deal of effort in organizing everything and raising money for this great cause.”