UPEI Men's Basketball Team 1985-1986

It was a most successful season for the basketball Panthers as the team won the AUAA championship in fine fashion at the Halifax Metro Centre. Finishing strongly in second place in the conference, the Panthers knocked off arch-rivals Acadia Axemen in overtime in the semi-finals and then won a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Dalhousie Tigers in the final to win this school’s first ever basketball crown.

The Panthers had lost the championship game two successive years before breaking though with a vengeance to win their first title in front of 4000 fans at the Halifax Metro Centre. Curtis Brown pumped in 24 points in the final game to lead the Panthers from a 32-29 halftime deficit and was named the player of the game for his efforts.

But it was unsung , unheralded, unknown and unflappable Delroy Adams who walked off with the award as Most Valuable Player of the championship. Adams the smallest payer in the league at 5’8”. Adams helped the Panthers in the semi-final victory over Acadia in an overtime 88-82 win.

George Morrison after the win in Halifax was quoted, “The Panthers won as a team tonight and received major contributions from expected and unexpected sources alike.”

Many students and long time supports, were on hand for the win and many with tears in their eyes. UPEI president at the time Dr. Willie Elliott and Panther athletic director Ed Hilton were among the jubilant celebrants.

“Make sure you write that we couldn’t have done it without our fans, : McKellar instructed a reports and the rest of the team roared their approval. “They out yelled the whole place.”

The Panthers could not savour their championship for long though, as they had to prepare for the East Regional in Wolfville, NS. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost out in the first round to an unheralded, but hot Western squad. Still, it was a dramatic season for the Panthers, including a nationally televised game with Acadia in which the Panthers scored with less than ten seconds remaining to win and of cource the championships.

Members of the team; Tejan Alleyne, Randy Posylek, Curtis Brown, Ronald Deighan, Mark Thomas, Mike Morgan, Trevor Willock, Glen Grant, Alanzo Wright, Mark McKellar, Delroy Adams and Andrew Bodkyn, Wade Morrell (Manager)

AUAA All Stars- Curtis Brown and Mike Morgan