Gabriel’s double-double propels Huskies to seventh straight win, 81-73 over Panthers

HALIFAX, NS—The Saint Mary's Huskies (9-6) extended their winning streak to seven games, defeating the UPEI Panthers (6-10) at the Homburg Centre 81-73 behind a 20-point, 14 rebound double-double from Player-of-the-Game Marc-Denault Gabriel (Montreal, QC). Despite team shooting struggles from distance (5-26 3PT, 19%) Gabriel's interior presence carried the Huskies to a decisive 40-22 advantage in the paint.
 
The Panthers struck first with a jumper from wing Cameron Brown (Scarborough, ON). The Huskies, however, were immediately active in the interior. Gabriel powered his way to early rebounds and layups, while guard Shae Linton-Brown (Toronto, ON) lofted the ball over a double team for a Jackson Enyinna (Port Harcourt, Nigeria) layup. The Panthers made a run, with a Brown reverse finger-roll preceding early fouls for Linton-Brown, sending him to the bench. A corner three from Panthers guard Kamari Scott (Malton, ON) put his team ahead 11-6. Five minutes in, Huskies guard Jonas Maerz (Rosenheim, Germany) finally touched the ball behind the arc, however briefly, before it fell through the net as he fell to the ground. Panthers guard Sam Chisholm (Bridgetown, NS) fired up his bench, finishing strong at the rim, but Maerz dropped in a jumper off the dribble. Huskies guard Tjark Lademacher (Lüneburg, Germany), filling in for Linton-Brown, lost his defender behind-the-back and took it to the cup, before Jayrell Diggs (East Preston, NS) found forward Jonah Crowther (Dartmouth, NS) on a back-cut to take the lead 15-14. The Huskies efforts to pull away were hindered by seven first quarter Huskies fouls, surrendering several bonus free throws. A frantic close to the quarter culminated with Crowther rebounding his own block, and then finishing a layup after Diggs split a double-team with a hockey assist. The Huskies led 19-16 after one. 

The Panthers tried to test Crowther early in the second with post-ups by Daniel Gonzalez Longarela (Madrid, Spain), but the Huskies stood tall and lept out into transition opportunities. Gabriel's tip-in of a Lademacher layup offered a 23-16 edge. Scott kept the Panthers within striking distance all night. Huskies guard Devawn White had several high-flying rebounds, but went to the bench after picking up a second foul, and Scott tied the game at 25 with a three from the left elbow. The Panthers nearly took the lead, but missed a layup and the putback, before Huskies guard Aidan MacDonald (Timberlea, NS) grabbed the rebound and drew the foul. Panthers guard Kyree Thompson (North Preston, NS) posed problems for the Huskies, breaking down the defense for a floater, before freezing Maerz with a low double crossover to put the Panthers in front 31-28. Linton-Brown responded with drive-and-kicks to Diggs for his first triple, and to Lademacher for a teardrop floater. In a moment of Panthers miscommunication, Gonzalez Longarela faked handoffs at the top of the key before passing to an unoccupied corner in front of the Panthers bench. He replied by nailing MacDonald with a screen to open up Scott for a jumper. Diggs, cool in the clutch, gave the Huskies a  38-36 halftime lead with a last-second triple.

Linton-Brown acrobatics began the third. He lost Thompson at the elbow and drained a leaner through contact, and then snuck past Chisholm in the corner, while falling out of bounds, to grab and heave the ball over his head. The loose ball went off the Panthers, and facing a single-digit shot clock off the inbound, Linton-Brown charged the length of the court and dumped it to Enyinna for a layup, triggering a timeout. Gonzalez Longarela sliced through the lane on a post up for a difficult against-the-grain jumper, but Gabriel responded with one of his many big rebounds off his own miss for putback. In a flash, the Huskies were ahead 49-38. Gabriel continued to feast on loose balls, euro-stepping his way for another layup before sending his tenth board ahead to Lademacher for a breakaway finger-roll. Undaunted, Scott continued to carry the Panthers, laying it in through the Crowther contact to cut the Huskies margin to 53-47. Chisholm clutched a hot potato offensive rebound and laid in the last points of the quarter, but the Panthers still trailed 56-50.

Lademacher broke down Gonzalez Longarela off the dribble and scored a pair at the line to begin the final frame. The Huskies were concerned when Gabriel took a hard fall fighting for a rebound with Brown, and Scott came back with a three and a layup to cut the lead to four. Diggs replied with the second of his fourth quarter threes, and while Chisholm replied in kind, back-to-back layups for Gabriel and Lademacher triggered a Panthers timeout, stuck 71-63.  Maerz spoiled any Panther plans, picking Chisholm's pocket, and sent it to Linton-Brown, who beat Brown at the basket. Gabriel denied Gonzalez Longarela at the basket to protect the double-digit advantage. To the delight of the Homburg Centre, Linton-Brown spun away from the screen and sent an alley-oop to Gabriel, who hung next to the rim for a moment, before deciding to land and instead collect the foul while finishing the layup. Linton-Brown and Diggs harried Scott into a back-over violation, for what seemed like a dagger but Scott stole the ball from Gabriel off the inbound and found Thompson for a layup. Thompson forced a Huskies timeout with 90 seconds remaining by grabbing a rebound and going coast-to-coast to cut the lead to single digits 78-69, but the Huskies protected their lead, finishing 81-73 in front.

Player-of-the-Game Marc-Denault Gabriel had another unstoppable performance with a 20 point (9-16 FG), 14 rebound, two block double-double. Jayrell Diggs had 19 points (6-19 FG, 4-14 3PT), three assists, and two steals, while Shae Linton-Brown led the Huskies with nine assists.

Kamari Scott had 28 points (7-13 FG, 3-4 3PT, 11-13 FT), nine boards, and three steals, while Sam Chisholm had 14 points (5-10 FG, 1-2 3PT) and three assists. Daniel Gonzalez Longarela contributed eight points (3-6 FG), ten rebounds, and three steals.

Huskies hope to stay hot, seeking their eighth consecutive at 8:00 AST Friday, February 2nd when they host the UNB Reds. The Panthers are back in action on the Island at 8:00 PM AST, Saturday, February 3rd when they host the Dalhousie Tigers.

RECAP BY: Dr. Casper Macaulay, SMU Huskies Athletics / PHOTOS BY: Eduardo Ibarra