Tigers top Panthers twice to start season undefeated
Courtney Thompson had a combined 43 points over two games to lead the Tigers to two straight victories over the UPEI Panthers during their opening weekend of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) regular season schedule.
Following their 54-47 win over the Panthers on Nov. 7, the Tigers worked much better as a unit to convert on their offensive chances, resulting in them putting 19 more points on the board than the night before. They final score of the second game was 73-63.
Head coach Anna Stammberger complimented her team’s ability to overcome last year’s obstacle of winning consecutive games.
“All the games are tough in this league and UPEI’s a very good team,” she said. “They returned everybody and they’re a very good scoring team, so we were very happy to keep their score down last night and tonight.
Third-year Ainsley MacIntyre and fourth-year Tessa Stammberger, along with Thompson also reached point totals in the double digits. Danielle MacDonald had a team-high 14 points for UPEI.
Thompson, who averaged a team-high 17 points per game last year, will be largely relied upon to provide a significant offensive and leadership presence for the Tigers this season.
“She’s certainly a player and a half,” said Stammberger about Thompson. “She’s a real competitor and is mentally and physically tough. She’s a big part of this team.”
Dal is coming off an average season that saw them finish middle of the pack. They lost in the semifinals of the AUS playoffs to the Saint Mary’s Huskies who ended up winning the title and advanced to place second at the CIS championships.
The Tigers had a near-perfect preseason, winning three of four games and only narrowly losing to CIS ninth-ranked Laval 56-54 at the Subway Centennial Tounnament at Dalplex on Oct. 18.
Dal looks to continue their winning ways Nov. 15 and 16 during their first road trip of the season against Cape Breton. The Capers currently sit at .500 after winning their first game to the Memorial Seahawks 54-50, but narrowly losing the next 47-46.
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