(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS secured a late victory over the Acadia Axemen, winning 86-82 on Saturday afternoon at UNB's CURRIE CENTER. This win clinches a spot for the REDS in the Atlantic University Sport Championship tournament in Halifax next weekend.
"It was an up-and-down game," said UNB head coach Joe Salerno. "Ultimately it was about getting a win today and punching that ticket to the AUS tournament. We've been playing good basketball as of late, so we really needed to do whatever it took today to win. I'm just really happy for the guys to have an opportunity to go down and play in the postseason now."
Leading the charge for the REDS was Marcus Barnes (Kitchener, ON), who finished with 22 points, four assists, and three rebounds, earning him Tim Horton's Player of the Game honours.
"When Marcus is our best player we win a lot of games," said Salerno. "He's the guy that we want with the ball in his hands late in games and he stepped up and answered the bell today."
Javordo Mitchell (Woodbridge, ON) provided a boost off the bench for UNB with an 11-point, 18-rebound double-double, while Norm Burry (Grafton, NB) added 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
For the Axemen, Miguel Perez Boskovic (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) finished with a team-high 21 points, followed by Kyle Munro (Timberlea, NS) with 20 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double in the loss.
Acadia started the first quarter strong, shooting a perfect 3-3 from three-point range and securing an early 13-2 lead, with Boskovic scoring six points in the opening frame.
Despite the REDS' efforts, including a three-pointer from Barnes and baskets from Mitchell and Brandon Laryea (Crawley, UK), Acadia maintained a six-point lead.
However, consecutive threes from Burry and Reese Zorogale (Halifax, NS) tied the game at 15-15, with Zorogale then giving the REDS an 18-15 lead with another three-pointer.
A three-pointer from Gabe Davignon (Whites Lake, NS) brought the Axemen within two, 22-20 before free throws helped Acadia end the first quarter with a narrow lead, 27-26.
The second quarter saw Laryea opening with back-to-back threes, igniting a 10-2 UNB run as the REDS jumped to a 38-29 lead.
Despite back-to-back threes from Boskovic and Munro, closing the gap to a three-point UNB lead at 41-39, a floater from Boskovic, and a layup from Munro put the Axemen up 43-41.
However, a three-pointer from Marcus Barnes helped UNB reclaim the lead at 44-43 before Thomas MacDonald's (Rothesay, NB) free throw tied the game at halftime, 44-44.
Both teams traded points at the start of the second half, until Barnes' 10 third-quarter points sparked a 10-2 UNB run, resulting in a 65-58 lead for the REDS heading into the fourth quarter.
Vegas Evans (Brampton, ON) started off the final quarter with the hot hand, scoring eight consecutive points and putting UNB up by 15, the largest lead of the night.
However, Acadia mounted a comeback with a 15-3 run, bringing the game to within one point.
Despite this surge, a crucial block from Mitchell followed by a three-pointer from Barnes helped the REDS secure the victory, closing out the game 86-82.
UNB (10-10) concludes the regular season on a high note, winning five of the last six games and carrying significant momentum into the AUS championship tournament next weekend. "We know any game we play is going to be tough," said Salerno. "But we also know we're capable of beating any team in the AUS. I think our guys are going to be confident going into the playoffs.
The REDS await their opponent in the AUS quarterfinals on Friday.
Meanwhile, the season concludes for Acadia, finishing with a record of 8-12.
RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics