ByMICKEYPIACE‘.‘

Almost always at this time of year, as the A.U. A.A. teams approach the end of scheduled play, fans and players alike scan the standings and remaining games with many "ifs" being applied to the calculations. "If" this hadn't of happened to us of "If" we had only done that, how much better might our situation be! Unfortunately we have reached a state where our fate has been passed, in part, to others & their chances of edging out our close competitors in or— der for us to reach post season play. For the. Pan— thers the same situation exists in both basketball and hockey. Of course we mflstalso win to take ad- vantage of what others might do to us.

We'll first go to wcm— en's basketball where we are mired in 7th place (Thank Heaven for Mount A) and out of' playoff conten— tion. We hosted the St. - .. F.X. team on Saturday after noon and unfortunately, we were most hospitable as they walked off with a 55-31 win after leading 36-14 at the half. Sue Balwin was high for us with 14. As in most games this season we are handi— capped with a disadvant- age in height and have been consistently outman-f ouvered under the basket. Looking forward to next year we'll hope that many P.E.I. highschool girls have been eating the prOper breakfast foods and grow— ing high. Perhaps, in 1983 we should say "Tall". The final league game of the year will be on Friday at 6:00 against the league leading "Red Bloomers" of

\ . J ‘K. ~ . . ‘

U.N.B. who sport a nat— ional ranking and a 13- ‘ 0 record.

In hockey we split a pair since our last col- umn; On Wednesday we tra- velled to Moncton where we dropped one to Les Aigles : Bleu 6-1 in a game in which we never really got started. We trailed 2—0 after one and 3-1 at the end of two. Avelino Gan- ez was injured midway in the middle period and had to give way to Dave Reid in goal. Each allowed three markers. Rob Mazzuca got our lone tally. Captain Trevor Crawford was ejected from this game and had to miss the next one because of strenuous and overenthu— siastic debate. Saturday night it was a different

story as the Acadia Axenen

sorely needing a win to stay in contention came to

' the Forum. It was a miser—

able stormy night and those brave souls who defied the elements to attend, saw the Crawfordless Panthers play the type of game we have hoped for all season as they smothered the main landers 6—1 in a contest in which the biggest won- der was whether Dave Reid would get a shut-out. (A third period backhander, while he had been drawn out of position foiled his attempt) . We lea 2-0 after one, 4—0 after the second and 6-1 at the final whis- tle. Norman Beck connected for two, Ricky Cameron got a neat short—handed one & Ronnie Carragher scored three, one ‘in each period. Monday mornings standings are shovm below. To ach— ieve a playoff spot, and the dubious honor of meet- ing Monoton in the first round, we MUST beat out UNB and Mount A: Weplay .

@@@K {Ariana

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urged. SUN FEB 17,1983.

St. Trunas and Mount A. here this weekend. Mount A. isathcmetoUNBon Saturday & here on Sun- day. UNB is at St. Thomas on the 16th & at Mount A. on the 19th. Figure out the possibilities!

In basketball we drop- pedtwo&we,whoon1ya few days ago were enjoy- ing the stratosphere of first place in the standing have been deposed and driv— en to the depths of fifth position! To such a nice 1 , bunch of guys it shouldn't

. happen. Against xi

leading St. F.X. in their gym we managed to stay close for the first half as we trailed by but five at 37-32 but .the X-men changed tactics & took con- trol early in the second & they won, going away by 92— 62. Billy Redmond and Mike Morgan were tops for us with 15 and '14. Sunday's game was a continuation of the same sad story with but slightly different script as St. Mary's took a 100- 78 decision from our strug- gling warriors. The close guarding and superior height of the Santanarians were too much for the Pan— thers as hurried and har- ried shooting from the in— side & a recalcitrant ball,

' which kept bouncing off the

hoops frustrated our attempt from outside & we were out or close contention through- out. Our shooting was way off average although a hoc— key statatician would prob— ably have us ahead' on the 8.0.6. '5! They do not count however in determining a winner. SMU led 52-39 at the half. Mike Morgan lead the way for us with 23 and Billy Redmond was close behind with 20. Our playoff hopes were scmewhat dimned'by UNB's 79-70 upset Vic-

, .nosoavent-avtuoccnaokaaq I,

tory over Dalhousie. (gen- ' erous of us???)St. Mary's (who have a‘tough finishing schedule) UNB (here for two this weekend) and. the Pan- thers are all in contention for third and fourth places. "Eanie meanie,‘ miney, moe. . .. who's out?"

"Nice guy" Don Nelson (who claims to make the beat

'clam chowder in the Maritime)

will have his UNB Red Raiders here this weekend &'to stay ' in the race, we MUST take both games. In the games played in Fredericton last fall we took the first by a fen points but UNB bounced back to take the second by a wide margin. They have a win over SMU in Halifax”& as we have remarked, beat Dal. in their own gym by 9. We MUST root the Panthers to wins in both games! For the "iffers" the rest of the schedule has the Pan- thers home for these two ' against UNB, bbunt A. will be here for our final game 0mm? .sad farewellmto Billyme 7 nd); We'll if“ "“ Acadia the following", A end. Besides ithfepair'of V ‘ games here, UNB entertains Mount A. on the 16th &_ are at home to St. F.X. on the 26th. St- Mary's are at Dal. on the 15th and 16th, at home to Acadia on the .~l9th & at St. F.X. on the 22nd. IF you are an optimist & Cur— '— tis Brown hasprcmised ,us, you'll make reservations for Halifax for 4 & 5 of March! If the reverent Phil is counted among the few who might be reading this, will , you Father, on behalf of both the hockey and basketball Panther. fans please try to establish immediate con“? , tact with St. Uude?

Standings 11. ‘Feb. 83; ..

Luusmmcs "00'. w L F A va' 3”): w 3mm 999 .159. . Dal 9 noes 1013 .692 SQLMary‘s 9 : 5‘049-971 M3 UNB 7 -5 966 .503 UPEI 6 s 920 901 .505 Acadia 4 so 914 {072 .266 MoumA ‘ 0 ’ 12. 08‘ 1215 .000 [mm .W I. t r A m —. 19 .2. mm 67 as 2:; 17 I 1) m o" 34 Mun " '° ‘ 92 9‘ 2:! we ’0 9- 2 107 102 22 Ufieu ’0 '2 o 93 '05 20‘ A“ 9 H 2 9‘ 20 sm: ; g 79: ‘12; vs ‘ sum 3 vs 1 so :65 ‘3 ' Incublnmmu w I. r A H- UNB 13 o 996 659 26 Dan 11 2 use 022 ‘22-- 50x a-desarsso-je Mom 6 B 647 750 Q SMU 6 7 059 M, 12 Anon: 4 5 6‘4 000 .8 095! 3 H 642 as?“ 0 MM 0 13 568 9‘9 0