(FREDERICTON, N.B.) Javon Masters (Kitchener, Ont.) scored a game-high 39 points to lead the UNB Varsity Reds to a 104-96 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies, becoming the all-time leading scorer in Canadian university men's basketball history in the process.
With 0:46 to play in the third quarter, Masters hit a pair of free throws to tie the old U SPORTS scoring record of 2282 and then establish a new mark.
"It's something special. I can't even describe it right now," said Masters, following the game. "I'm still in awe of the moment. I'll take some time to talk to my family about it, but at the same time, I've got to prepare myself for tomorrow."
Masters was 11-of-22 from the field and 13-of-14 from the free throw line.
His 39 points gives him 2,296 in 90 regular season games.
"I wasn't keeping count in my head," he said. "I had a feeling as the game kept going on that I was going to get it."
Boris Bakovic scored 2,282 career points in five seasons, four at Ryerson and a fifth at the University of Calgary.
"It was hovering over me a little bit today," admitted Masters. "I was talking with one of the alumni today. He said it would be nice if you could get the win and at the same time break the record, so for us to do both is icing on the cake."
Masters' record-setting night also included six rebounds and four assists.
He was named the Subway Player of the Game.
"We put up 104, so it wasn't necessarily just me," said Masters. "It was all the other guys too, doing their job. I put the ball in the basket, but it's all them, they do the grinding work. It's a team effort too."
Varsity Reds head coach Brent Baker says he's seen few players as motivated as Masters.
"The motor is exceptional. He has a driving force," said Baker. "There aren't too many guys that have that. He's not going to be denied, not against size, not against speed."
Masters basked in the glow of the victory and the new scoring record only a short time.
"You could never have scripted it better. Coming here five years ago and being able to break this record, it means a lot. But we still have some work to do tomorrow, and we've got a couple more weeks to go."
Masters, playing in his fifth and final year of eligibility, says the team's goal is winning the Atlantic University Sport title, something UNB has only done once, and not since 1967.
Now 11-3, UNB sits third in the AUS standings and has clinched a playoff spot.
Masters was the national scoring champion in his first three seasons, boasting 27.4 points per game in 2013-14, 25.1 in 2014-15 and 28.0 in 2015-16.
He earned the Dr. Peter Mullins Trophy as the CIS (now U SPORTS) rookie of the year in 2014. That same year, he earned a place on the national all-rookie team and was named a second team all-Canadian.
He was named the conference MVP and a first team all-Canadian in 2015 and 2016. He earned AUS first team all-star and second team all-Canadian nods again last season.
Masters began making a name for himself in the AUS record books in just his third season, setting a new record for career free throws made. That record currently sits at 690 and counting.
He set the AUS all-time record for free throws made in one season in his rookie year, with 215. He also boasts second and third place in the same category, with 165 free throws made in 2015-16 and 161 in 2014-15.
He sits second and third in the record book for most points in one season, earning 560 in 2015-16 and 547 in 2013-14. And he is tied for second in free throws made in a single game, making good on 20 of 26 in a 2013 game versus UPEI.
The Varsity Reds have six games remaining in the regular season. They conclude their weekend series versus the Huskies this afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
With files from Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics