17吃瓜

Riding the wave of a historic comeback, the 17吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Basketball Panthers come into the Indochino U SPORTS Final 8 Championship fresh off their first Atlantic University Sport (AUS) title in 22 years.

Facing a 24-point deficit in the AUS championship game on March 2, the Panthers roared all the way back鈥攕howcasing the resilience and grit they鈥檒l need against the host UBC Thunderbirds in Thursday鈥檚 quarter-final at midnight (ADT). The game will be played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia and is available to watch on .

17吃瓜 faces a tough challenge against third-seed UBC, the Canada West silver medalists. The Thunderbirds feature a high-powered offence led by dynamic guard Adam Olsen, who averaged 16.4 points per game on an efficient 45.9 per cent shooting, including 38.5 per cent from beyond the arc. Adding to their scoring depth is veteran forward Fareed Shittu who contributed 10.9 points per game.

However, 17吃瓜鈥檚 dynamic backcourt duo of Kamari Scott and Kyree Thompson has the firepower to match UBC鈥檚 offensive leaders. The pair combined for 28.3 points per game this season, and their play will be crucial in determining whether the Panthers can advance to the semifinals.

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for this opportunity. It鈥檚 now setting in that we have a chance to play for a national championship in Vancouver, which is surreal,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e facing teams we鈥檝e never played before, which makes this an exciting challenge. Representing 17吃瓜 on the national stage means everything, and we鈥檙e not taking it for granted. Last year, we would鈥檝e been watching this tournament from home, so we鈥檙e going to embrace every moment and give it 100 per cent.鈥�

The biggest challenge UBC presents is its size. With two towering 6-foot-10 forwards in Nikola Guzina and Victor Radocaj, the Thunderbirds dominate the paint and score efficiently. Guzina averaged 12.8 points per game on 56.5 per cent shooting, while Radocaj added 9.9 points per contest on a blistering 65.5 per cent shooting from the field.

For 17吃瓜 to neutralize this advantage, 6-foot-7 forward Daniel Gonzalez Longarela will play a critical role. He averaged 9.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game during the regular season and stepped up big during the AUS Championships with two double-double performances. His defensive presence in the post will be key to slowing down UBC鈥檚 big men.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e big, and they have people who can really shoot,鈥� said Panthers head coach Darrell Glenn. 鈥淭hey execute their stuff well and will present challenges in the low post with their size.鈥�

One factor working in the Panthers鈥� favour is their tenacious defence. 17吃瓜 ranked eighth in U SPORTS in scoring defence, allowing just 70 points per game鈥攚ell below UBC鈥檚 explosive 87-point average鈥攈ighlighting the two teams鈥� contrasting styles of play. 

鈥淥ur message is simple: be true to who we are,鈥� Glenn added. 鈥淎s we鈥檝e done all season, we鈥檒l make defence the cornerstone of our preparation and identity.鈥�

With their trademark grit, stifling defence, and never-say-die attitude, the Panthers are primed to embrace the challenge ahead. An upset would send shockwaves across PEI, but win or lose, 17吃瓜 is determined to leave everything on the court. All that鈥檚 left now is tip-off in Vancouver.