REDS Exit AUS Championships

(HALIFAX, NS) Three UNB REDS registered double-digit scoring efforts, but it wasn't enough as the REDS dropped a 77-69 decision to the Acadia Axewomen, Saturday afternoon in the semi-finals of the Atlantic University Sport Championship.

"We knew we needed to play a great game to beat Acadia," said UNB head coach Jeff Speedy. "I thought we played a really good game, but really good wasn't quite good enough to get a win."

Jayda Veinot (Port Williams, NS) led the REDS with 18 points in the loss. Veinot also notched 12 rebounds.

Acadia was first of the scoreboard with a Sarah Delroy (Elmsdale, NS) layup, but the REDS got a three-pointer from Katie McAfee (Lower Knoxford, NB) that kicked off a six-point UNB run and an early lead.

The REDS were able to hold on to that early lead, thanks to the play of Veinot, who had 10 of her 18 points to start the game to give UNB the narrow 20-18 lead after the first quarter.

Acadia was able to use a 9-2 run to start the second quarter to jump out to a 30-23 lead.

Foul trouble then started to hurt the REDS, who allowed the league's best free throw shooting team to build on their lead.

The Axewomen headed into the break holding 47-37 lead.

"I thought we lost focus a couple of times trying to block shots and steal the ball when we shouldn't have," said Speedy. "We got burned for it, putting them on the free throw line way too much."

"It was something we talked about before the game, to not put them on the free throw line because they were such a good free throw shooting team." 

In the second half the REDS came out with a lot of energy.

Jennifer Nkuah (Brampton, ON) opened the scoring with a layup.

Nkuah provided a huge spark off the bench for UNB. She finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 14 minutes of play.

The Axewomen were able to hold onto their lead though thanks to the strong play of Elizabeth Iseyemi (Dartmouth, N.S.). Iseyemi added five of her seven points in the quarter and locked down on UNB's Veinot for most of the game. 

AUS MVP Hayley McDonald (Port Williams, NS) would open the fourth quarter with a three pointer. McDonald finished with a game-high 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.

But the REDS wouldn't quit and would go on an 8-0 run midway through the quarter capped by a pick and roll score from center Katie Butts (Ottawa, ON) to bring the Axewomen lead to just four.

But the Axewomen came out of a timeout on a 7-0 run to grab full control of the game and move on the championship game.

Along with Veinot and Nkuah, Kylee Speedy (Fredericton, NB) had 11 points off the bench for the REDS while also adding six assists and a rebound.

The loss marks the end of the season for this UNB squad and the end of an illustrious career behind the bench for Speedy.

"This team is pretty darn special," he said. "I've had a lot of great teams, whether they won championships or not was kind of irrelevant. I've had a lot of great teams with great people, and I'll remember this team forever, in part because it was my last team, but it was a really close team, and they did everything we asked all year long. This team picture will be up in my office for the rest of my working life, and it'll bring a smile to my face every time I look at it."

RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Nick Pearce/for Atlantic University Sport