Capers score victory over Panthers

By Corey LeBlanc

SYDNEY – The Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers (8-10) celebrated senior day on Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Fieldhouse with a win over the visiting UPEI Panthers (12-6) in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) women's basketball action.

The match-up marked the final home game of the conference regular season for the Capers, with fifth-year guard MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay, NS) playing her final conference contest on the floor where she became a perennial all-star.

She garnered the Subway player of the game nod, finishing with a double-double – 14 points and 10 assists – while adding five rebounds. 

After the game, Ryan and forward Catherine Lallemant-Capocci (Montreal, QC) were honored for their contributions to the Capers and CBU Athletics.

In the first quarter, the Panthers jumped to an early 6-0 edge before the Capers responded with an 8-0 burst – one keyed by six points from guard Chermensa van la Parra (Rotterdam, Netherlands), including a traditional three-point play, the hoop-and-harm – that gave CBU a two-point advantage.

By the midway point of the opening frame, after a basket from Hailey MacLeod (Marion Bridge, NS), the teams were deadlocked 11-11.

The Capers took their largest lead of the first quarter on the strength of a highlight reel finish from Kiyara Letlow (Toronto, ON) after her team smartly broke UPEI's pressure defense. And, moments later, Darah Fleurgin (Montreal, QC) drained a spinning lay-up in the lane to make it 15-11.

The Panthers ended the quarter on a 9-4 run, which featured a corner three-pointer from Lauren Hainstock (Aylesford, NS) to make it 20-19 for the visitors.

The Capers regained the lead to start the second quarter when sophomore Eirin Vreim Holm (Oslo, Norway) took a feed on the wing and glided in for an uncontested lay-up.

For most of the quarter, both sides had trouble scoring, with UPEI holding a 7-6 scoring advantage after five minutes. During that stretch, CBU forced a pair of shot clock violations.

After the Panthers took a 28-27 lead, the Capers – sparked by back-to-back threes from Leandra Hersey (Quispamsis, NB) – fashioned a 12-2 burst to end the second quarter.

CBU took a 39-30 edge to the locker room at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, after a pair of free throws from Fleurgin, the Capers took a double-digit edge at 43-33.

The Panthers answered, trimming the deficit to six – at 45-39 – on a three-pointer from Sydney Cummins (Wolfville, NS) and a basket in the lane from Lauren Rainford (Toronto, ON).

After CBU's 'twin towers' – MacLeod and Letlow – meshed consecutive hoops, the lead ballooned to double figures, once again, at 50-39.

Samantha Zoffranieri (Brampton, ON) canned the final basket of the quarter – a three-pointer – to slice the CBU edge to 52-44 heading to the fourth quarter.

In the first minute of the final stanza, the Capers scored the first five points, which included another Hersey basket from downtown, to help return the home team's edge to double digits at 57-44.

After another Letlow hoop and three-pointer from Hersey, CBU took its largest lead of the contest – at 64-46 – which put the exclamation point on a 12-2 run in the opening three minutes of the fourth quarter.

By the midway point of the fourth quarter, the Caper advantage swelled to more than 20 points.

With just more than three minutes remaining in regulation time, Alicia Bowering (Orangeville, ON) connected from downtown to shave the CBU lead to 71-55, which led to a timeout call from Caper head coach Fabian McKenzie.

Down the stretch, UPEI got no closer – with the Capers holding the visitors scoreless the rest of the way to secure the important home victory.

Lauren Rainford led the Panthers with a game-high 20 points, while Cummins chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, along with three assists.

Letlow contributed another double-double for the Capers – with 16 points and 19 rebounds – while Hersey, off the bench, added 14 points, including four key three-pointers.

van la Parra notched 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Fleurgin added eight points and 12 rebounds. 

Along with senior day, the Capers and CBU Athletics also marked African Heritage Day throughout the game.

Both teams will wrap up the AUS regular season on the road, with the Panthers heading to St. John's for games versus the host Memorial SeaHawks on Friday, Feb. 17 (6 p.m. NST) and Saturday, Feb. 18 (12 p.m. NST), while the Capers will travel to Halifax on Saturday, Feb. 17 (6 p.m. AST) for a match-up with the Dalhousie Tigers.

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