First quarter outburst helps Dal top UPEI 90-75
The Dalhousie Tigers offence was on full display on Friday night at the Dalpex, producing 48 first half points en route to a 90-75 victory over the UPEI Panthers.
(Halifax, N.S.) – The Dalhousie Tigers offence was on full display on Friday night at the Dalpex, producing 48 first half points en route to a 90-75 victory over the UPEI Panthers.
The hosts were fueled by a 24-6 run towards the end of the first quarter that sparked their run the rest of the way.
Five different players scored in double figures for Dalhousie, led by guard Jarred Reid (Aurora, ON) and forward Kashrell Lawrence (Brampton, ON), who both had 18. UPEI forward Dut Dut (Ottawa, ON) led all scorers with 23 points and 10 boards in the loss.
The Panthers opened the contest on an 8-2 run, led by guard Lorenzo Parker (New Minas, NS) who tallied four points.
Dalhousie would fight back however, and took a 12-point lead into the second quarter. Reserve forwards Warren Liang (Vancouver, BC) and Sascha Kappos (Miami, FL) were the catalysts, producing eight points each on 6-of-6 shooting from the field.
The Tigers kept on rolling in the middle frame, going on a 17-4 run early which included three treys from Reid – who had 15 total points in the quarter, as well as two emphatic dunks from Lawrence.
Guard Tyler Scott (Halifax, NS) paced the Panthers, with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. The visitors also had a plus-six advantage on the boards, however the Tigers held their ground, forcing 12 first half turnovers en route to a 48-30 halftime lead.
Both squads increased their aggressiveness in the third quarter, resulting in numerous trips to the free-throw line on either side.
Dut led the charge offensively for UPEI with seven points, while forward Sven Stammberger (Halifax, NS) added eight for the Tigers who entered the final 10 minutes up 74-51.
The Panthers fought valiantly in the fourth quarter, cutting the Tigers lead down to as much as 10 with just over two minutes to go, however it wasn't enough, as the hosts held on for the win.
With the win, Dalhousie finishes the regular season at 16-4, good for the number one seed in the AUS playoffs. They will now await the winner of the first quarter-final match which takes place on Friday, March 3 at the Scotiabank Centre. Whoever wins that contest will take on the Tigers the following day.
With the loss, UPEI fell to 6-13, and will play their final game of the regular season tomorrow on the road against StFX.