UPEI’s second-half surge buries Memorial

By Thomas Becker

UPEI flipped the script in a hurry.

Down 13 in the first half and struggling to find any rhythm, the Panthers erupted after halftime and ran away with a 74-61 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks Friday night at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. A massive 33-10 third quarter turned a tight game into a statement home victory and lifted UPEI to 4-6 on the season.

Early on, it was all Memorial (3-6). The Sea-Hawks opened on a 10-0 burst and led 20–11 after the first quarter, carving up UPEI in the paint and generating early turnovers. But the Panthers stayed committed to one priority in their scouting report: take away Memorial's three-point shooting.

The Sea-Hawks entered the night ranked first in the conference at 35.8 per cent from deep, yet UPEI chased over every screen, closed out hard, and refused to give up rhythm looks. That pressure paid off immediately, as Memorial finished the game just 3-for-22 from beyond the arc, a drastic departure from their season norm.

As the perimeter shut down, UPEI slowly climbed back into the game.

Sam Chisholm found a groove with a jumper, a layup, and two trips to the free-throw line, Brown kept sneaking behind the defense for finishes at the rim, and Kyree Thompson attacked in transition to earn points the hard way. In the final minute of the half, Tarrence Booker pieced together a personal five-point burst—a strong drive followed by a transition three off a Thompson steal—to slice the margin to 39–35 at the break and give the Panthers life heading into halftime.

That surge carried straight into the second half.

UPEI seized control the moment the third quarter began. Hugo Bermejo's three trimmed the deficit to one, and on the next possession Owen Smith drilled a triple to give UPEI its first lead of the night. Moments later, Smith finished in transition as momentum swung sharply in UPEI's favour. From there, the Panthers poured it on: Booker and Thompson relentlessly attacked the basket, Chisholm kept punishing seams in the defence, and Surendran cleaned the offensive glass before finishing through contact. By the end of the frame, UPEI had outscored Memorial 33-10 and built a commanding 68-49 advantage. 

The fourth quarter, though, was anything but pretty.

Both offences cooled off, possessions got choppy, and open looks were rare. But with a nearly 20-point cushion, UPEI could absorb the lull. The Panthers traded empty trips, leaned on their defense, and let the clock work in their favour to close out the 74-61 win.

Thompson led UPEI with 15 points and seven steals in a disruptive, game-changing performance. Chisholm added 14 points on efficient shooting, Booker chipped in 13, and Brown (8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Surendran (8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) powered a bench that outscored Memorial 47-24.

For Memorial, only Jodick Moudiandambu cracked double figures, finishing with an efficient 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting. No other Sea-Hawk reached 10, a testament to UPEI's disciplined defensive effort.

UPEI now turns its attention to Saturday at 4 p.m., where a weekend sweep of the Sea-Hawks is up for grabs.

Photos by Pushpika Mendis and Thomas Becker