Reds Fall At UPEI

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE) The UPEI defence stifled the UNB Reds on Saturday as the Panthers scored a 77-59 win.

Jenna Mae Ellsworth (Charlottetown, PE) led the way both offensively and defensively with 24 points and five steals. Jane McLaughlin (Fortune, PE) and Karla Yepez (Quito, ECU) also reached double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

"We came in with a loss and we just wanted to pick it up on defence. We've been playing good defence all year long and we needed to be better tonight," said Ellsworth, who was named the Subway Player of the Game."

Ellsworth and Yepez got it going early for the Panthers and combined for 10 points, as they opened the game on a 13-4 run.

UPEI continued to shoot the ball with confidence and doubled up their opponent 26-13 by the end of the quarter.

The Reds' defence locked in early in the second and held the home team to just five points over a five-minute period. But UPEI would catch fire again with five straight field goals to push the lead 42-26. They'd take a 48-26 advantage into the half.

A slower paced third limited the Panthers to just 14 points, but UNB didn't fair much better with 16. UPEI held command 62-42 heading into the fourth.

The Panthers held the Reds to just 35.4 percent shooting on the night and made them pay with 17 points off 12 turnovers, as they took the game 77-59.

"We've been working on getting back to who we've been," said Panthers' head coach Matt Gamblin. "We're a defensive team. We guard every possession. We stop the ball in transition. And overall, we were much better today than we were last week."

UPEI visits Dalhousie next Sunday, in a 1:00pm start.

The Reds resume their schedule on Febuary 15^th, when they visit Dal for a 6:00pm tip-off.

RECAP AND PHOTOS: Thomas Becker/for UPEI Athletics