CAPERS Lose Nail-Biter at UPEI
Shorthanded CAPERS come up just short against the Panthers.
(Charlottetown, PE)- One of the Panthers' all-time greats, Tyler Scott, put on a show in his final home game, scoring 35 points to lead UPEI past the Cape Breton Capers 86-82.
The Panthers (6-12) erased a 10-point halftime deficit behind Scott's dominant second half, where he scored 23 of his 35 points.
Fellow seniors Jake Kendrick, Mark Matheson, Lorenzo Parker and Dut Dut each got the start tonight in honour of their commitment and dedication to UPEI.
After the ceremony, both teams got back to business. Capers' guard Aaron Hayles caught fire to begin the game, draining three consecutive triples as he led his team to a quick 11-4 advantage, forcing the Panthers to call a timeout.
Both offences laboured in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but an old fashioned three-point play by Kenny Jean-Louis (Montreal, QC) put the Capers up 42-28. He finished with a team-high 24 points and 17 rebounds.
Jack MacAulay (Charlottetown, PE) found his shooting touch in the quarter, scoring nine of his 15 points to lead Cape Breton at halftime, 55-45.
Down big, Parker took it upon himself to drive the ball to the basket on multiple occasions leading to several made free throws. The aggressive plan of attack paid off as UPEI trimmed the deficit to 55-53 behind an 8-0 spurt.
The Panthers continued to have a strong third quarter, outscoring their opponent 16-8, while holding them to a miniscule 14.3 per cent shooting, But the Capers still held a slim 63-61 edge heading into the final quarter.
After Scott drained a triple to open the fourth, the Panthers didn't look back. Scott scored 18 of his team's 25 fourth-quarter points to complete the comeback bid 86-82.
The CAPERS will return home next where they'll take on the Saint Mary's Huskies. Game time is Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.