Huskies outlast Panthers in overtime revenge win

By Thomas Becker

The Saint Mary's Huskies refused to let history repeat itself. Less than 24 hours after a heartbreaking double-overtime loss, they stormed back Saturday night and flipped the script, outlasting the UPEI Panthers 96-93 in overtime.

Rookie guard Ben Dale came up clutch in the extra frame, scoring six of his 17 points off the bench to lead the charge and hand the defending AUS champions their first home defeat of the season. 

It was a tense, back-and-forth affair from start to finish, one defined by momentum swings and shot-making on both ends. John Dawson paced the Huskies (1-3) with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three, while adding six rebounds. Jasha'juan Downey was a difference-maker all night, stuffing the stat sheet with 19 points, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. His timely shot-making and defensive presence kept Saint Mary's in the fight before helping them seize control in overtime.

With the game knotted at five, the Huskies broke loose from deep. Three of their next four baskets came from beyond the arc courtesy of Downey, White, and Dawson as they jumped ahead 16-9 and closed the opening quarter with a 21-11 lead.

The second quarter was all about the benches. For UPEI (1-3), Tarrence Booker came alive, scoring five of the Panthers' next seven points to cut the deficit to 23-18. But Dawson answered quickly with a layup and a triple to steady the Huskies. The Panthers refused to fold, though, as Cameron Brown and Abilash Surendran hit back-to-back buckets, followed by a surge from Kyree Thompson, who scored five straight on his way to a team-high 25 points and six rebounds. That spark fueled a 19-11 run that brought the Panthers within two, 41-39, at halftime.

UPEI carried that energy into the third and tied it at 46 apiece when Sam Chisholm drilled a three from the wing. But Saint Mary's punched right back. A 10-2 spurt, highlighted by threes from Dawson and Diego Ramos, swung the momentum again, and Downey poured in nine points in the quarter to help the visitors take a 64-55 lead into the fourth. 

That's when Thompson took over. With the game hanging in the balance, he attacked the paint at will, piling up 13 in the fourth quarter and cashing in on eight free throws. Aleer Aleer-Leek gave UPEI their first lead of the half with 4:46 to go, and when Chisholm hit another three with just over a minute left, the Panthers were up 85-80 and seemingly in control.

But missed opportunities at the stripe proved costly. UPEI went just 1-for-6 from the line down the stretch, allowing Saint Mary's to claw back. With six seconds remaining, Dawson drove through traffic and finished a tough layup to tie the game at 87-87, forcing overtime.

Then came Dale's moment. The rookie guard showed veteran-level calm in overtime, scoring six points and slicing through the lane twice for decisive baskets that put Saint Mary's ahead for good. 

UPEI looks to bounce back when they travel to Sydney next weekend for a two-game set against the Cape Breton Capers on Friday and Saturday.

Photos by Janessa Vanden Broek