Panthers hand X-Men third loss of the season

Charlottetown, PE - The UPEI Panthers played to a big 86-82 win over the first place STFX X-Men Saturday night at the Chi Wan Young Sport Centre.

UPEI came out strong, dominating the first quarter with a 33-16 lead. STFX bounced back in the second quarter, tightening their defense and matching UPEI's 19 points but they trialed 52-35 at halftime.

STFX surged with 27 points in the third, cutting into UPEI's lead thanks to improved shooting. The Panthers held a 69-62 after three quarters. Despite STFX's push in the final frame, UPEI held on for the victory, handing the X-Men only their third loss of the season.

Nicolas Gonzalez Longarela led UPEI with 15 points and Sam Chisholm had a strong game with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Daniel Gonzalez Longarela also contributed 14 in the Panthers win.

DJ Jackson had a double-double night for the X-Men with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while adding 4 assists. Keyonte Beals also netted 22 points, while Gatluak James scored 13 and had 7 rebounds. 

UPEI's bench outscored STFX's by a 26-7 margin to contribute to the win and their big first quarter lead proved to be the difference. Despite STFX's second-half surge, they couldn't completely erase the early deficit.

The X-Men record currently sits at 12-3 as they maintain their first place standing in the AUS conference. They'll be back in action on home court on Saturday, February 8^th when they host Saint Mary's at 8:00 pm.

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