REDS Rally For Win

(ANTIGONISH, NS) The UNB REDS relied on a strong 22-point fourth quarter to play to a 66-53 comeback victory over the STFX X-Women in the first game of Atlantic University Sport regular season competition Friday night, in Antigonish.

UNB's Kylee Speedy (Fredericton, NB) paced the REDS to a game-high 20 points in the win and was named Player of the Game.

The X-Women came out strong in the first quarter, playing tough defence. The game was knotted at eight points apiece midway through the quarter. 

Laia Torrent (Cornella de Llobregat Spain) drained a three-pointer with three minutes to play to give STFX a 17-13 lead, but Speedy answered with a three at the other end for the REDS. 

The X-Women were up 21-18 after the opening quarter.

The second quarter saw lower scoring as both squads settled into the game. The REDS edged the X-Women 8-7 as STFX held onto a 28-26 halftime advantage.

The X-Women extended their lead to six points in the opening minutes of the third quarter but the visiting REDS quickly clawed their way back into the game. A Speedy three-pointer midway through followed by a Reese Baxendale (Sussex, NB) jumper gave them 37-36 edge.

The teams continued to exchange baskets and UNB held a 44-40 lead after three quarters. 

The X-Women kept the score to within four points to start the final quarter, but UNB pulled away, thanks to the sharp shooting from Speedy from beyond the arc. They built up a 16-point lead, 64-48 with just over three minutes to play and never looked back.   

Outscoring the X-Women 22-13 in the fourth, UNB closed out the victory. 

Jayda Veinot (Port Williams, NS) scored 15 for the REDS and had seven rebounds. Baxendale netted 10 and Erin Ingalls (St. George, NB) contributed nine points and had a team-high 11 rebounds.

For the X-Women, Shannon Nieta (Toronto, ON) scored 11 points and had four rebounds. Reegan Bell (Perth, ON) scored eight off the X bench.

The same two teams will be back in action Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00pm.

RECAP BY: Krista McKenna/STFX Athletics

PHOTOS BY: David Cox/for STFX Athletics