(HALIFAX, NS) An and-one from guard Hess Mayele(Montreal, QC) with just seven seconds left helped the UNB Varsity Reds defeat the Dalhousie Tigers 66-63 in come-back fashion on Saturday night. The game was also in support of Bell Let's Talk Day, which occurs this Wednesday.
It was a tightly-contested defensive affair that saw a shift in momentum on numerous occasions. The Tigers held the game's biggest lead, of 11 points, but were unable to hold off a resilient UNB squad.
The first quarter was a see-saw battle, with the Tigers taking a 20-16 lead, on the strength of five consecutive points from guard Matt McVeigh(Tantallon, NS) in the final 17 seconds.
The Varsity Reds kept pace in the second quarter, with forward Tyrell Leotaud(Ajax, ON) and guard Javon Masters(Kitchener, ON) leading the charge with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Tigers went into half-time leading 34-32.
Dalhousie would outscore UNB 13-4 through the first seven minutes of the third quarter, before the Varsity Reds came charging back with a 10-2 run of their own to end the quarter, and went into the fourth down by just three.
Both teams were firm in the paint, with forward Sascha Kappos(Miami, FL) recording two blocks for Dal, while Mayele grabbed three boards for UNB.
Masters led the charge for the visitors in the final 10 minutes of play, recording nine of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, including two free throws with 3:53 remaining which tied the game up at 57.
Dal would hold the lead until the final 16 seconds of play, when Mayele grabbed a defensive rebound and finished off the play on the other end, with an and-one to give UNB a 64-63 lead with just six seconds left.
The Tigers had one last chance to emerge with the win, but were called for an offensive foul that effectively ended the game.
Both teams are back in action on Friday. Dalhousie will travel to face Cape Breton, while UNB will host Saint Mary's. That tip-off is scheduled for 8:00pm.
RECAP BY: Dal Athletics
PHOTO BY: Carter Hutton/for Dal Athletics