The Memorial Sea-Hawks (4-9) defeated the UPEI Panthers 88-69 on Saturday night at The Field House.

Nathan Barker set the tone for the game in the first few minutes. Barker was able to put a massive 14 in the first quarter, six coming from deep, and drawing an and-one. He ended up finishing with 22 in the first half.

For UPEI, scoring was dispersed, with their highest contribution being 9 (Amin Suleman). They struggled on offense, shooting poorly from deep, under 20%. They also had plenty of fouls in the first half, giving Memorial their fair share of free throw opportunities. Memorial was able to hold the lead throughout the first two quarters, 36-30.

The third quarter was when the Hawks blew open their lead, outscoring the Panthers 24-11. Plenty of Hawks scored in the frame, but they started hot right from the start of the quarter going on a 7-0 run. Later in the third, the Hawks were able to string together two straight and-one plays. They capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beater from Jason Thompson.

The final frame was just more of Memorial, UPEI was helpless against the hustle in the front court and the pressure from the backcourt. The Panthers shot a dismal 14% from deep, and a disappointing 60% from the free throw line. Despite the tough loss, the Panthers had multiple contributors, at least five of them posting double digits in points.

For the Hawks, Nathan Barker dominated with a commanding 33 points. Barker was named Subway Player of the Game for his efforts.

Jeff Damalie stayed off the scoreboard, but earned his minutes pulling down a tremendous 14 rebounds, seven of them being offensive. This was a much-needed win for the Hawks; they will look to sweep the Panthers in the game tomorrow. The game will be available for live stream on AUStv.ca