REDS Advance To U SPORTS Title Game

(QUEBEC CITY, QC) The No. 2 seeded UNB REDS will play for the U SPORTS Women's Basketball championship on Sunday following a hard-fought 70-66 win over the Calgary Dinos in the semi-finals, Saturday afternoon in Quebec City.

Katie Butts scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down half a dozen rebounds to lead the REDS while Kylee Speedy, named the REDS' player of the game, scored 16 points and had three assists and three steals.

The REDS scored the opening points of the game, a three-point basket by Katie McAffee, and UNB fashioned an early 11-6 lead.

But the Dinos rallied and led 15-13 after one quarter.

In the second quarter, UNB used a 9-0 run to establish a 26-19 lead but then gave up a 6-0 run to Calgary as the Dinos closed the gap to 26-23.

Despite a dozen first half turnovers, the REDS led 35-31 at the half-time break.

The REDS roared back in the third quarter, using a 12-0 run to open a gap the Dinos would never completely close. The run came after Calgary had taken a 43-42 lead and was punctuated by back-to-back three-point baskets by Speedy to give UNB a 57-43 advantage.

Calgary outscored the REDS 21-11 in the fourth, but it wasn't enough.

Kourtney Oss, named Calgary's player of the game, and three other Dinos scored 14 points each. Calgary got just eight points from their bench.

McAffee finished the afternoon with 10 points and Maheva Ngassam registered a game-high 11 rebounds. Coming off the REDS' bench, Alyssa Jenkins contributed seven points and Zoe Olscamp scored five and grabbed four rebounds.

The REDS now face No. 5 Saskatchewan in Sunday's national championship game.

The Huskies finished the Canada West regular season with a perfect 20-0 record and were the country's top-ranked team most of the season but fell in their conference final to Calgary.

They beat host Laval 55-43 in Saturday's second semi-final.

In three previous trips to the national championship, UNB has earned three silver medals (1971-72, 1973-74, 1975-76). UNB also has two bronze medals from previous Canadian championship tournaments (1974-75, 1998-1999).

The REDS and Huskies tip-off Sunday at 6:00pm Atlantic. The winner will hoist the Bronze Baby as U SPORTS champions.

The game can be seen on CBC Gem and on CBC Sports' YouTube channel.

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS

PHOTO BY: Mathieu Belanger/for Laval Athletics