Panthers struggle to contain Letlow in loss to Capers
Panthers struggle to contain Letlow in loss to Capers
By Thomas Becker
The UPEI Panthers dropped their fourth game in a row Saturday night after they were victimized by Kiyara Letlow's dominance, ultimately ending in a 72-64 loss to the Cape Breton Capers.
The two-time AUS all-star was an absolute force in the paint, as she finished with 26 points and 20 rebounds for her twelfth double-double of the season. Third-year guard Chermensa van la Parra chipped in with 14 points, five assists, and three rebounds, while Hailey MacLeod had an efficient night with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. She also added three steals, two assists, and two rebounds.
Guards Grace Lancaster and Devon Lawlor led the way for the Panthers (5-7) with 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Capers (5-7) locked up all-star Lauren Rainford, who was to nine points on 4-of-17 shooting.
The visitors mostly executed what they wanted on the offensive end, where they attacked the basket at will, leading to 56 points in the paint. Cape Breton also outscored their opponent 18-6 in second-chance points thanks mainly to Letlow, who hauled in nine offensive rebounds.
After a converted and-one from Rainford, Cape Breton responded with a 10-2 run that was capped off by a pair of layups from Amanda Cruickshank, as the Capers held an early five-point lead.
However, UPEI countered in a big way behind some stellar defence. They held Cape Breton scoreless for five minutes while the offence reeled off 11 straight points to pull ahead 16-10. Lancaster started the run with a three-pointer and ended it with a layup. After 10 minutes of play, the Panthers led 16-13.
Letlow went to work early in the second quarter, using her physicality in the painted area for three straight Caper layups to tie the game at 19 apiece.
Both teams traded blows before back-to-back layups from MacLeod and Van La Parra pulled Cape Breton in front 29-28. van la Parra continued to attack the basket, scoring consecutive layups to help her team extend the lead to 35-28. The Capers' defence was equally effective down the stretch, as they held the Panthers without a point in the final 3:53 of the half to open up a 38-28 advantage. At the break, Letlow had already recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The first 5:27 of the second half saw the teams match one another before the Capers extended their lead to 18 on four consecutive layups. The Panthers whittled it down to 57-43 going into the fourth, where they continued to play well. A Lawlor lay-in with 5:51 to play trimmed the deficit to eight, but Cape Breton matched them the rest of the way to close out the 72-64 win.
The Panthers travel to Antigonish where they will take on the St. FX X-Women for a weekend doubleheader beginning Saturday. Meanwhile, the Capers travel to Halifax for a two-game set against the Saint Mary's Huskies starting on Friday.