REDS Fall In AUS Final

(HALIFAX, NS) Playing in the program's first Atlantic University Sport championship game since 2011, the UNB REDS fell 64-49 to the Saint Mary's Huskies on Sunday afternoon at the Scotiabank Centre, in Halifax.

"I couldn't be more proud," said first year REDS' head coach Erin McAleenan. "I thought that we battled and continued to try to fight when shots weren't dropping, and things weren't going our way."

Both teams were a bit tentative to start with the first basket not coming until almost two minutes in, the Huskies taking an early 3-0 lead.

Mid-way through the opening quarter, Saint Mary's led 9-5, but the REDS worked to close the gap.

An Erin Ingalls (St. George, NB) lay-in tied the game 11-11, and the REDS took their first lead at 13-12 just ahead of the end of the first quarter.

In the second, a McKinley Bezanson (Hantsport, NS) floater put UNB up 17-12, but the Huskies rallied, drawing even and then pulling ahead 20-19.

Jayda Veinot's (Port Williams, NS) lay-in with 1:10 to play in the second tied the score 25-25, but the Huskies scored the final four points of the first half, taking a 29-25 lead to the break.

In the third, the REDS surged.

A Veinot running jumper pulled UNB to within three, down 34-31.

On the ensuing Huskies' possession, Jolianne Guay (Prevost, QC) forced a turnover and fed Katie Butts (Ottawa, ON) who added two more to pull UNB within one at 34-33.

UNB took a 41-38 lead late in the third quarter before SMU's Clara Gascoigne (Dartmouth, NS) hit for three to tie the score.

A couple Veinot made free throws and a Maheva Ngassam (St. Hubert, QC) lay-in gave UNB a 45-41 lead after three quarters.

The Huskies shut the REDS down in the fourth quarter, outscoring the REDS 23-4 on route to their 64-49 win.

"Obviously, it sucks," said an emotional Ingalls after the game. "It's not what we wanted, but it's amazing how we were able to stay together through all of it. I love those girls. There's so much love in that room right now and I wish we could've done this together, but it was an amazing season."

Ingalls finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

Veinot, the AUS MVP, played all 40 minutes for the REDS, scoring 18 points and grabbing six rebounds.

Butts pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds and scored 10 points.

"I thought we came out really strong in the third quarter, obviously to get a bit of a punch back and then in the fourth, I thought Saint Mary's really stepped up their pressure and intensity," said Coach McAleenan. "I thought we were playing a little bit tighter and almost playing back on our heels. A couple bounces, a couple calls didn't go our way either, so it felt like we couldn't make any in-roads in that last quarter."

Huskies' guard Alaina McMillan (Brantford, ON) led all scorers with 22 points and was named the player of the game and MVP of the conference championship tournament.

Veinot and Butts were named to the championship tournament all-star team.

"It's really not enough," said Ingalls, of playing in the conference title game. "But it's a super cool feeling, it was amazing to be in the final."

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Nick Pearce/for Atlantic University Sport