UPEI defeats Tigers 73-58

(CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I.) - UPEI was able to recover from a tough loss Friday night and control the majority of Saturday's game, defeating the Dalhousie Tigers 73-58 at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre in front of 300 fans.

For the second night in a row, the Panthers controlled the pace of the first quarter taking a 16-12 lead into the second quarter. Anne Kiberd (Halifax, N.S.) opened the scoring with back-to-back threes leading the Panthers with six points. Courtney Thompson (Saint John, N.B.) countered with nine points for the Tigers.

Keeping with the storyline from a night earlier, Dalhousie was able to take the advantage in the second quarter to cut the Panthers' lead from four to two at the half, 33-31.

The seesaw battle continued in the second half with UPEI pushing their lead to 10 points, scoring 20 in the quarter taking a 53-43 lead in the fourth quarter. Laura Power (St. John's, N.L.) and Anne Kiberd led the attack for the Panthers with 10 points apiece.

UPEI would not look back from there adding 20 more points to Dalhousie's 15 in the final quarter, winning 73-58.

It was a score by committee kind of night for the Panthers as four players scored in double figures. Anne Kiberd led the way with 15 points, 12 coming from beyond the arc, to go along with eight rebounds. Amy Gough (St. John's, N.L.), Darcy Zinck (Halifax, N.S.) and Candace Smith (New Minas, N.S.) added 15, 12 and 10 respectively.

Courtney Thompson led the Tigers with 22 points.

Anne Kiberd was named the Subway player of the game.

Dalhousie (5-3) is on the road again next weekend; travelling to Fredericton to take on the UNB Varsity Reds (5-5) at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.

UPEI (5-4) hosts the Memorial Sea-Hawks (3-3) next Saturday night, Jan. 17, also at 6 p.m at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Source: Jonathan Lane for UPEI Sports Communications