Varsity Reds men's basketball starts 2015 with big win

The UNB Varsity Reds men's basketball team got 2015 off to a flying start with a 100-53 victory over Holland College in exhibition play at home. 

There was no question the V-Reds dominated play throughout the game, holding the Hurricanes to under 15 points a quarter for the first three quarters and allowing only 17 points in the fourth.

The victory was largely a team effort, with five UNB players racking up points in the double digits. Ryan Smith and Javon Masters led the charge with 18 points apiece, followed by Nikola Mandic with 15 points, and Will McFee and Hussein Egal with 10 points each. Leading the scoring for Holland College was Trevone Grant with 11 points. 

Mandic and Smith were also both strong on the rebounds, with seven each. Mandic, who is originally from Belgrade, Serbia, posted an impressive six defensive rebounds as the V-Reds worked to control turnover of play, picking up 32 defensive rebounds to the Hurricanes' 17. 

UNB head coach Brent Baker says it's hard to complain about starting off the year with a 47-point victory. 

"This was a good opportunity to get our guys some competition before league play," Baker said. 

"Five guys in double figures is always a good sign that we are sharing the ball and executing at a high level."

UNB plays next on Saturday, January 3rd, when they host the UNB Alumni team at 5pm. Regular season action gets underway on Friday, January 9th, when they host Saint Mary's for the first of two games that weekend.