The Cadre -

26 January 1999

Sports _

Men’s and women’s Panthers look positively ahead

By MARC MACDONALD

Now just past the All- Star Game, last year’s AUAA champs the UPEI Lady Pan- thers are looking forward to the remainder of the season. The Panthers had been tied for first in the Atlantic confer- ence’s East Division with the UNB Varsity Reds before the weekend of January 8th - 10th. They fell to second place, how- ever, after the Reds won in what was the Panther’s first two consecutive regular sea- son losses in almost two years. When asked about the week- end, Marie-Claude Couture, third year guard and a captain for the Panthers squad, noted that it had been a difficult se- ries of games but it that came out positive.

Even though her side, the East Division, lost in the All- Star Game, Couture enjoyed the game.

UPE! Sports Centre

“It’s not my type of game, but it’s always good to get recognized,” Couture said in describing her experience.

In the Men’s All-Star game, Scotty Morrison had 12 points for his East Division team. “There was no pres- sure,” he said about the game “We were able to just go out there and have some fun There was not much defence played but there was a lot of threes and dunks.”

Unfortunately for the Men’s Panthers, their record (3 wins and 6 losses) does not show how well they’ve been playing. The Panthers who are third in the Eastern Division have had an up and down sea- son.

Morrison, fourth year guard and captain explained, “we're playing well in a lot of games but our record isn’t that good, mostly because we don’t

play well for the whole forty minutes.”

The weekend of Janu- ary 16th - 17th saw both the men’s and women’s Panthers play very good games, but end up with different results. The women pulled off a close win against Dalhousie on Satur- day (63-60) and used strong defence on Sunday to thump Acadia 75 to 53. The Men lost in both outings in games that could have gone either way The results were Dalhousie 83 UPEI 75 on Saturday and Acadia 80 UPEI 74 on Sun- day

Both the Men’s and Women’s Panthers are to play at Saint Mary’s on Saturday 23rd. The future is looking brighter for the men, who ex- pect to have fourth year guard Mike Moore back to the team the week of Januafy 24th -

30th. Other positive signs for the men are excellent play from forwards Chris Smith, Jim Morris, Dave Love, and Nate

Phillippe. As well, guards Scotty Morrison, Jonathan McKercher and Mike Sirois have been playing well and knocking down threes con- sistently.

“We're a young team but we're improving every game,” Morrison said, looking toa good future. “In the long run I think we'll be there.”

The Women’s team will be secking to continue their run of exasperating opposing coaches and teams with their smothering defence and ex- plosive offense. In anticipation

of upcoming games, Couture says, “we had a couple injuries

and some le were sick but we stayed focused and posi- tive .. . nothing can stop us.

We're into it.”

Vey) Re cca

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-Photo by Richard Haines