REDS To Play For AUS Crown
(HALIFAX, NS) The UNB REDS will play for their first Atlantic University Sport women's basketball championship in over a decade on Sunday.
Led by league MVP Jayda Veinot (Port Williams, NS), UNB defeated the Memorial University Sea-Hawks 71-48 Saturday night in their semi-final matchup, played at the Scotiabank Centre, in Halifax.
"It's the first time the program has been in the final in 13 years," said REDS' head coach Erin McAleenan. "It's been the goal all season and we've face a lot of adversity, so I'm proud of how we've persevered."
The win advances the No. 2 seeded REDS to Sunday's championship final against the top-ranked and defending champion Saint Mary's Huskies, who earned their ticket to Sunday with a 71-61 victory over the STFX X-Women.
UNB's last championship final appearance was in 2011, when they fell to Cape Breton. Although their 28 AUS titles leads the conference, UNB has not won a league title since 1999.
Veinot was named Player of the Game after leading her team with 20 points. She added eight rebounds and five assists. Jolianne Guay (Prevost, QC) netted a career-best six three-pointers to score 18 points.
"It just feels so great," said Guay. "It was a grind, but we're just so happy. I'm just so proud of the team. I think today we played our game. We were running in transition, we hit shots from the three, we were going inside out just great. We had them scouted really well."
What was a close game in the first half quickly became one-sided in the second.
At half, the Sea-Hawks led 30-29, but in the second half it was all REDS. UNB outscored Memorial 19-7 in the third quarter and then 23-11 in the final 10 minutes to turn a one-point half-time deficit into a 23-point victory.
While the Sea-Hawks did not shoot the ball particularly well all game, they were ice cold from the field in the final 20 minutes, going just 5-for-33. UNB, on the other hand, went 17-for-35 in the third and fourth quarters.
Alana Short (Barrie, ON) had 13 points at half for the Sea-Hawks, but finished with just 15. Teammate Alyssa Jenkins (St. John's, NL) finished with 15 as well.
"I'm thrilled, super proud of our team effort tonight," said Coach McAleenan. "I thought in the first half we were a little slow getting going and struggled with some foul trouble, but I thought we weathered the storm and had lots of people come in and hold the fort. I thought in the third quarter, we stepped up to another level. Defensively, we tried to limit their opportunities and offensively, I thought we got going in transition and shared the basketball."
The Huskies finished atop the AUS standings with a 17-3 record while UNB was second at 15-5. The teams split their head-to-head match-ups. The REDS won a January 13th home game 82-73, but dropped a February 2nd re-match, in Halifax, 82-50.
"We need to rest, sleep well, eat well," said Guay, about how UNB prepares for Sunday's final. "We're going to have to go over the scout and focus on the goals."
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics with files from Atlantic University Sport
PHOTOS BY: Nick Pearce/for Atlantic University Sport