Panthers come inches short in 83-81 thriller
In the final seconds, it looked like UPEI might steal one.
By Thomas Becker
In the final seconds, it looked like the UPEI Panthers might steal one.
Down 80-75 late, Kyree Thompson buried a step-back three to make it a one-possession game, then picked off the ensuing inbound pass to send the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre into a roar. But his baseline floater caught the near rim and came up short—a half inch from igniting a full comeback. The Memorial Sea-Hawks gathered themselves, hit the necessary free throws, and escaped with an 83-81 victory in a frantic, seesaw finish Saturday night.
It was the fitting end to a game that swung wildly from start to finish.
UPEI (4-7) opened with pace and confidence, pushing out to a 10-3 lead behind strong takes from Tarrence Booker and an early triple from Owen Smith. But Memorial (4-6) countered quickly. The Sea-Hawks found their rhythm from deep, with Josh Reimer and Norm Burry connecting from beyond the arc and Jodick Moudiandambu asserting himself at the rim. A 13-4 run closed the quarter and put Memorial up 28-25.
The second quarter remained punch-for-punch. Smith and Chisholm answered with timely threes, Brown steadied things on the glass, and Surendran added a corner triple to keep UPEI within striking distance. But the Sea-Hawks kept finding just enough—Reimer finishing at the rim, Burry hitting a jumper, and Robinson cleaning up inside—to stay a step ahead and take a 46-42 lead into halftime.
The pattern held in the third. Every UPEI surge was met with a Memorial response. Smith splashed another three, Brown and Surendran sparked the interior scoring, and the Panthers closed within a single possession multiple times. But second-chance opportunities proved costly. With Memorial winning key rebounds and hitting timely shots, the visitors carried a 67-60 cushion into the fourth.
UPEI, though, refused to go quietly. Booker kept the pressure on with downhill attacks, Brown hammered home a momentum-swinging dunk, and Surendran drilled a pair of threes as the Panthers charged back late, cutting it to 77-75 and eventually 80-78. That set the stage for Thompson's late-game heroics, and heartbreak, inside the final 30 seconds.
Booker and Smith paced UPEI with 16 points apiece. Brown delivered 12 points and seven rebounds, while Surendran was outstanding with 11 points, 13 boards, and a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. Thompson finished with 12 and nearly delivered the shot of the night.
Memorial leaned on a balanced attack of their own. Moudiandambu powered them with 20 points and nine rebounds, supported by Burry (14 points), Reimer (14 points), and Robinson (12 points) as the Sea-Hawks held off every UPEI push in a game that felt destined to come down to the final bounce.
Photos by Thomas Becker
