Cheers!
      To
      Sports
      Notes
      by
      Steve
      McManus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      Alexander
      Keith's.
      Those
      who
      like
      it,
      like
      it
      a
      lo
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      convincing
      72-55.
      victory
      on
     
     
      Saturday
      secured
      the
      Panthers
      men’s
      basketball
     
     
      team
      a
      trip
      to
      the
      AUS
      Championships
      in
     
     
      Halifax
      on
      March
      12th-14th.
      With
      their
      seventh
     
     
      win
      in
      a
      row,
      and
      eighth
      in
      the
      past
      nine
      games,
     
     
      UPEI
      is
      looking
      strong
      heading
      into
      the
      post
     
     
      season
      as
      they
      look
      to
      defend
      their
      AUS
      crown.
     
    

    
     
      Just
      four
      short
      weeks
      ago
      the
      panthers
     
     
      were
      on
      the
      outside
      looking
      for
      a
      playoff
      spot
     
     
      with
      a
      record
      of
      5-7
      but
      now
      they
      have
      finished
     
     
      third
      in
      the
      Nelson
      division
      with
      a
      record
      of
      12-
     
     
      8
      after
      their
      late
      season
      heroics.
      At
      home
      this
     
     
      season
      the
      Panthers
      have
      posted
      a_record
      of
      6-
     
     
      5,
      while
      owning
      a
      road
      record
      of
      6-3.
      They
      have
     
     
      shown
      they
      can
      win
      at
      home
      or
      away,
      so
      the
      sky
     
     
      is
      the
      limit
      for
      these
      men
      and
      should
      not
      be
     
     
      intimidated
      by
      the
      Halifax
      Metro
      Centre
      for
     
     
      they
      have
      came
      out
      victorious
      in
      all
      three
      of
     
     
      their
      games
      they
      have
      played
      in
      Halifax
      this
     
     
      year.
     
    

    
     
      Currently
      sitting
      in
      last
      place
      in
      the
     
     
      conference
      in
      rebounding
      (32.9
      per
      game),
      the
     
     
      big
      front
      line
      of
      Kierstead,
      Duncan,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panthers
      Clinch
      Playoff
      Birth
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McKinney
      will
      need
      to
      step
      up
      the
      intensity
      this
     
     
      weekend.
      However,
      the
      Panthers
      are
      able
      to
     
     
      boast
      the
      highest
      blocks
      per
      game
      in
      the
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      with
      3.65
      and
      73
      in
      twenty
      regular
      season
     
     
      games,
      the
      highest
      assists
      per
      game
      with
      17.6.
     
    

    
     
      Leading
      the
      Panthers
      into
      the
      playoffs
     
     
      is
      Jeff
      Walker
      with
      14.3
      PPG
      Doug
      McKinney
     
     
      with
      7.4
      RPG
      and
      Tyler
      Wood
      with
      4.9
      APG
     
     
      Also,
      if
      the
      Panthers
      wish
      to
      have
      the
      success
     
     
      they
      produced
      last
      year,
      they
      will
      have
      to
      rely
     
     
      heavily
      on
      the
      explosive
      play
      of
      Sherone
     
     
      Edwards.
     
    

    
     
      Edwards
      can
      pose
      a
      threat
      to
      any
     
     
      defense
      from
      any
      spot
      on
      the
      floor
      if
      he
      is
      able
     
     
      to
      bring
      his
      “A”
      game
      to
      the
      show.
      With
      the
     
     
      playoffs
      approaching,
      the
      Panthers
      are
      looking
     
     
      strong
      and
      have
      a
      good
      chance
      to
      repeat
      as
     
     
      Champions
      as
      they
      will
      face
      Acadia
      (6-14)
      in
      the
     
     
      first
      round.
      The
      two
      teams
      have
      split
      their
      two
     
     
      meetings
      this
      season
      with
      both
      teams
      winning
      at
     
     
      home,
      Acadia
      82-74
      (OT),
      and
      UPEI
      66-52.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lady
      Panther
      Named
      AUS
     
     
      Rookie
      Of
      The
      Year
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ongratulations
      goes
      out
      to
      Melissa
      A
      as
      she
     
     
      recently
      received
      the
      AUS
      Rookie
      of
      the
      Year
      award
      for
      her
     
     
      efforts
      with
      the
      Panthers.
      This
      native
      of
      Montreal
      had
      a
      phe-
     
     
      nomenal
      rookie
      performance
      for
      UPEI
      this
      year
      as
      she
      averaged
     
     
      10
      points,
      3
      rebounds
      and
      2.5
      steals
      per
      game,
      placing
      her
      in
      sec-
     
     
      ond
      in
      the
      entire
      conference
      for
      steals.
      With
      Campbell
      leading
     
     
      the
      way,
      the
      Panthers
      women’s
      basketball
      program
      is
      looking
      as
     
     
      solid
      as
      ever
      for
      the
      future.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Women
      Panthers
      End
      Season
     
     
      On
      Strong
      Note
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      women’s
      basketball
      team
      finished
      up
      their
      season
      this
     
     
      past
      weekend
      with
      a
      59-51
      victory
      over
      the
      UNB
      Varsity
      Reds.
     
     
      With
      the
      win,
      the
      Panthers
      finish
      up
      their
      season
      with
      a
      6-14
     
     
      record.
      Certainly
      not
      the
      record
      the
      team
      had
      hoped
      for
      at
      the
     
     
      beginning
      of
      the
      year,
      but
      certainly
      a
      productive
      year
      nonetheless.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Recognition
      must
      go
      out
      to
      graduating
      Panther,
      Jenna
      Connolly.
     
     
      Jenna
      has
      improved
      greatly
      over
      the
      past
      four
      years
      and
      is
      uncer-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Men’s
      Basketball
     
     
      of
      Rec
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      last
      thing
      the
      Panthers
      basket-
     
     
      ball
      team
      wanted
      to
      do
      was
      have
      their
      win-
     
     
      ning
      streak
      snapped
      heading
      into
      the
      play-
     
     
      offs.
      With
      a
      playoff
      birth
      already
      in
      hand,
     
     
      the
      Panther
      faithful
      packed
      the.
      field
      house
     
     
      in
      hopes
      of
      giving
      encouragement
      for
      the
     
     
      red
      hot
      Panthers.
      Unfortunately,
      UNB
      came
     
     
      in
      and
      silenced
      the
      crowd
      with
      a
      stunning
     
     
      80-62
      beating.
     
    

    
     
      The
      teams
      traded
      baskets
      in
      the
     
     
      opening
      half
      and
      UPEI
      went
      into
      the
      lock-
     
     
      er
      room
      trailing
      by
      one,
      32-33.
      UPEI
     
     
      looked
      to
      come
      out
      hot
      but
      the
      second
      half
     
     
      was
      much
      of
      the
      same
      as
      the
      two
      teams
     
     
      shared
      the
      lead
      until
      the
      10:44
      mark.
     
    

    
     
      At
      this
      time
      Panther
      head
      coach
     
     
      Mike
      Connolly
      called
      a
      timeout
      to
      settle
      his
     
     
      troops
      down
      and
      ice
      the
      hot
      shooting
      of
      the
     
     
      Varsity
      Reds
      as
      they
      began
      to
      pull
      away
      47-
     
     
      43.
      Following
      the
      breather,
      UNB
      lit
      up
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ular
      Season
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tain
      as
      of
      yet
      of
      a
      possible
      fifth
      year
      return.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Drop
      Final
      Game
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      scoreboard
      by
      going
      on
      a
      13-3
      run
      in
      less
     
     
      than
      three
      minutes
      and
      drained
      7
      three
     
     
      pointers
      in
      the
      final
      ten
      minutes.
      With
      frus-
     
     
      tration
      setting
      in
      on
      the
      Panthers
      following
      a
     
     
      multitude
      of
      poor
      calls
      by
      the
      officials,
      Je
     
     
      Walker
      had
      seen
      enough
      and
      decided
      to
      take
     
     
      it
      into
      his
      own
      hands.
     
    

    
     
      Having
      been
      tripped,
      and
      fallen
      on
     
     
      without
      a
      foul
      given,
      Walker
      pounced
      on
      a
     
     
      lose
      ball
      at
      the
      top
      of
      the
      UPEI
      key,
      mauling
     
     
      the
      helpless
      UNB
      guard.
      “He’s
      crazy!!”
     
     
      could
      be
      read
      off
      the
      lips
      of
      the
      terrified
     
     
      UNB
      player
      from
      the
      running
      track
      at
      the
     
     
      Sports
      Centre.
      Duncan
      also
      got
      into
      the
      mix
     
     
      by
      throwing
      a
      few
      verbal
      jabs
      at
      the
      grown
     
     
      up
      basketball
      playing
      Harry
      Potter
      repre-
     
     
      senting
      UNB.
      Good
      luck
      to
      the
      boys
      in
      the
     
     
      upcoming
      playoffs
      and
      they
      hope
      to
      see
      as
     
     
      many
      Islanders
      as
      can
      make
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      March
      9,
      2004
      page
      24