CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Jane McLaughlin is looking to cap off her Atlantic University Sport (AUS) basketball career with a pair of wins.
If she and her UPEI Panthers teammates accomplish the feat in Halifax this weekend, they will be bringing the AUS banner back to Charlottetown for the first time since 1998 and only the sixth time in the program’s history.
“If you look in our gym, there’s not very many banners hanging in there that say AUS women’s basketball champions, so it would be really nice to go out on that note for me and also for the future of the Panthers,” McLaughlin said after Wednesday’s practice.
The fifth-year forward from Fortune started with the Panthers in 2013, and her first playoff game was a 67-56 victory as the sixth-seeded UPEI knocked off third-place Cape Breton. They lost to second-place St. FX 86-82 in overtime in the semifinal the following night.
That tournament was held in Charlottetown, but for the past few years it has been hosted at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax in conjunction with the men’s tournament.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere,” McLaughlin said.
She said the team is more comfortable playing there than its first couple of trips to the AUS championship at a building they don’t play in during the regular season.
The third-place Panthers won their first two games at last year’s AUS championship before losing 80-58 to Acadia in the final.
“The loss still hurts the heart a little bit,” McLaughlin said. “It fires us up.”
This time around they have the bye, meaning a berth in today’s 3 p.m. semifinal against the Acadia Axewomen, who defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 74-54 in Friday’s quarter-final.
The bye provides an extra day of rest, which could be important as the Panthers were missing some players from practice earlier this week. First-year coach Matt Gamblin wasn’t tipping his hand when asked about it.
The team went 17-3 during the regular season, was ranked nationally and has a lineup of players who made it to the final a year ago.
Gamblin said there is a difference in terms of perceived intensity in the playoffs, but the game is still 40 minutes long, played with one ball and two hoops.
“It’s really just players executing at that point,” Gamblin said.
McLaughlin said there has been good energy around the team all season.
“We have so much trust in Matt, he’s my coach of the year,” she said.
They have stayed in the moment all year, concentrating on the next game. The long-term goal was to get back to the AUS championship, and now it is here.
“It feels like it creeped up on us but at the same time we’ve been working for it forever,” McLaughlin said. “I think the energy is good. We’re pretty relaxed, so we’re ready to go.”
Roster
A look at the UPEI Panthers women’s basketball team’s roster with each player’s hometown:
G Jenna Mae Ellsworth Charlottetown
G Reese Baxendale Sussex, N.B.
G Karla Yepez Quito, Ecuador
G Kimeshia Henry Ajax, Ont.
F Lauren Fleming Sussex, N.B.
F Tamara Timm Toronto
F Julie Campbell Summerside
F Jane McLaughlin Fortune
F Annabelle Charron Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
C Carolina Del Santo Barcelona, Spain
Leaders
Points per game
Jenna Mae Ellsworth 16.7
Reese Baxendale 13.3
Jane McLaughlin 9
Karla Yepez 8.9
Carolina Del Santo 8.8
Rebounds per game
Carolina Del Santo 13.3
Jane McLaughlin 5.1
Assists per game
Karla Yepez 2.5
Reese Baxendale 2.4
Carolina Del Santo 2.2
Jenna Mae Ellsworth 2.2
Steals per game
Jenna Mae Ellsworth 1.5
Karla Yepez 1.3
Blocks per game
Carolina Del Santo 2.4
Previous championships – The UPEI Panthers won the AUS championship in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993 and 1998.
Recent champs
2018 Acadia
2017 Cape Breton
2016 Saint Mary’s
2015 Saint Mary’s
2014 Saint Mary’s
2013 Saint Mary’s
2012 Acadia
2011 Cape Breton
2010 Cape Breton
2009 Cape Breton
2008 Memorial
2007 Memorial
