Panthers put up fight but fall to Huskies 84-67 

By Thomas Becker  

The UPEI Panthers battled until the end, but the more experienced Saint Mary's Huskies put the hammer down late in the fourth to take the game 84-67. 

Subway Player of the Game, Kemar Alleyne one-upped his performance from the night before with a game-high 31 points, to go along with eight rebounds and four assists in Saturday night's tilt. The guard was especially strong in the decisive quarter, where he scored 11, including going a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity strike.  

After a slow start to the game, the Huskies (6-4) finally connected on their shots late in the first quarter. Alleyne was the only one making shots at the time and scored half of his team's first-quarter points with nine, as the Huskies took an 18-15 lead into the second. 

The Panthers (0-10) battled hard to open the second and reeled off an 11-4 run, capped off by Moshe Wadley's athletic three-point effort, to pull ahead 26-24. Before he was fouled out in the fourth, the young guard scored 13 to lead UPEI. 

After the Huskies tied it, a Tristan Hyde three-point play reclaimed the lead for them 31-28, as they carried a 36-32 advantage at the half. Alleyne led the way with 13 points, while Dakelle Brooks provided the Panthers with a much-needed spark off the bench with 10. 

The Panthers jumped to a quick start in the second half to tie it at 36, but Saint Mary's responded with an 11-4 run, which ended with a Nikita Kasongo hoop-and-harm to go ahead 47-40. Kasongo scored nine of his 21 points in the frame to keep his team ahead. 

But the resilient home squad continued to battle and took the lead for a brief period before the Huskies took it back and held a 56-52 advantage into the fourth. 

The back and forth affair continued well into the quarter, with the Panthers tying it on two separate occasions. But Saint Mary's was too strong down the stretch as Kasongo iced it with a pair of late triples for the 84-67 final. 

UPEI hits the road next where they'll take on the Dalhousie Tigers. Tip off is Jan. 19 at 8 p.m.