Reds Need OT To Beat SMU
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds needed overtime to earn a win in the first of two weekend games against the Saint Mary's Huskies.
Javon Masters lead the Varsity Reds with 28 point and became the new Atlantic University Sport career leader in free throws made.
Osman Barrie had a game high 36 points and 10 rebounds for SMU, picking up the double-double.
UNB stormed out of the gate, putting on an offensive show early. A 19-4 run gave the VReds a nine point lead… a run capped off by three highlight real points from Masters.
The Huskies would bounce back in the second, thanks to Barrie, who sank 17 in the first half.
UNB took a 45-43 lead to the half.
SMU came out of the break looking to even things up. They quickly went on a run to steal back the lead, but it was short lived as back-to-back threes from Matt Daley put UNB back on top.
UNB used 17 Huskies turnovers to their advantage, scoring 21 points off those turnovers.
A 9-4 run for the Huskies gave them a two-point lead heading into the last minute, where Daley missed two key free throws that would've tied the game.
After the Huskies pushed their lead to three, Jesse Kendall drained a corner three to tie the game with only 19 seconds on the clock and send it to overtime.
"We pride ourselves on executing and playing to the final whistle, so to execute and have Jesse with that big three down the stretch to tie the game up, it was big," said Masters. "The crowd was back into it, and I think that carried us to overtime."
In the end, UNB emerged with the 102-97 win.
"Five minutes of basketball, the extra five minutes, that's what we want. We love basketball we love playing it, and to get an extra five in a game like that, that's when you dig down and find what your made of and you give it all you've got," said Matt Daley. "We need to get one more tomorrow, get back above five hundred and set ourselves apart in this league, get ourselves to the top going into Christmas and then regroup."
The Varsity Reds are back in action Saturday against the Huskies, before the first half of the season comes to a close.
BY – MICHAEL BOURGEOIS, FOR UNB ATHLETICS
PHOTO CREDIT – MICHAEL BOURGEOIS