Acadia's main competition for the AUBC championship in the mid to late 1980s was a talented UPEI Panthers squad. Ironically, the architect of the Panthers' success during this period was Dave Nutbrown who had left UPEI after three seasons to become Acadia's head coach in the fall of 1982.
Acadia and UPEI met in the 1988 conference final. The Axemen had gone an impressive 17-1 in the regular season, but their only loss had been to the Panthers, who had also defeated them twice in exhibition play.
Peter Gordon was the difference in the conference final, hooping 34 points for the Panthers in a 72-68 UPEI victory. Peter Morris, the conference MVP for a second straight season, led Acadia with 17 points. Kevin Veinot added 14 and Tyrone Carvery 12.
Acadia's consolation was a wildcard selection for the 26th edition of the nationals, which for a fifth straight year and ninth time overall, were played in Halifax, at the now-familiar Metro Centre.
The Axemen drew Bishop's as their quarter-final opponent. Led by 17 points and 15 rebounds from fourth-year forward Grant McDonald, Acadia used a strong second half to score a 77-58 victory.
Veinot, another fourth-year player, led Acadia with 19 points, and Tyrone Carvery added 15. On the negative side, Morris contributed just six points before fouling out.
Acadia moved on to the semifinals and a meeting with the Victoria Vikings, only a season removed from a string of seven national titles in a row, and still a formidable opponent. The 86-83 Axemen win was an emotional victory, and remains one of coach Nutbrown's most satisfying coaching moments.
Carvery, a Halifax native playing the best basketball of his all-too-brief Acadia career, led the offense with 25 points. Morris chipped in 22 points and Veinot added 20.
The final, played in front of 7,000-plus enthusiastic (and largely partisan) fans, featured Acadia and the defending champion Brandon Bobcats. For the fifth time in their fourteen appearances at nationals, the Axemen had to settle for the number-two position in the country following a 81-68 defeat.
Carvery finished with 21 points, McDonald 14, and Morris 10 before once again fouling out in his final game in an Acadia uniform. Whitney Dabney, a 6'8” forward, led Brandon with 29, Patrick Jebbison added 17 and David Dominique 15.
It was a disappointing end to a landmark season in which the Axemen had largely featured a starting five (Morris, Veinot, McDonald, Carvery and Charles Ikejiani) all born and developed in Nova Scotia.