Loss still stings for basketball Panthers
UPEI men’s team hopes the Mickey Place tournament this weekend will help kick start its 2012- 13 season
The memories of last season’s final game remain strong for the UPEI Panthers men’s basketball team.
The Panthers lost to the Saint Mary’s Huskies in an Atlantic University Sport quarter- final with many of its top players stuck on the bench in foul trouble. It wasn’t the way the players wanted to conclude their season and they are looking at writing a different ending to the story this time around.
“It was a sour taste in our mouth,” said Donathan Moss, a six- foot- five guard from the Bahamas. “This year we’re trying to come back and do a lot better. We want to go for the gold this year.”
Jermaine Duke, a six- footsix forward from Toronto, said the way the season ended drives him to work harder.
“I think about it almost every day,” he said this week.
The Panthers begin their 2012- 13 season Friday at home at the Mickey Place tournament.
“We want to show everyone that last year wasn’t a one- time thing,” Duke said. “Everyone knows we’re going after that championship.”
Moss, in his second season with the Panthers, said a strong performance during this weekend’s four- team tournament is important to setting the tone for the upcoming season.
“You win these games, you could be ranked,” he said. “This is big for us and everybody knows it. Everybody is practicing really hard this week.”
The Panthers lost two pillars to last year’s team in forward Manock Lual and guard Jonathan Cooper. They have added forwards Brian Ofori and Sammy Opel, guards William Caesar, Mandrez Downey, Lorenzo Parker, D. J. Smith and Joe Kendrick, head coach Tim Kendrick’s son.
Guard Andrew Rogers, who redshirted last season, is also on the squad.
“I want to win and they want to win, too,” Moss said of his teammates. “We should be really competitive. We have a lot of new guys that know how to play basketball. They’re making their mark on the court.”
Lucas Coughlin and Brandon Wallace are redshirting this year.
Duke said the team’s depth would help the squad. The players also complement each other with drivers, shooters and defensive stoppers.
“It’s the last year, so every moment counts,” the fifthyear forwrad said. “All the fun stuff you take for granted years before, you appreciate it now.”