(FREDERICTON, NB) It was a night to remember for the UNB REDS as Jayda Veinot (Port Williams, NS) scored the 1500th point of her regular season Atlantic University Sport career, helping her team in an 82-73 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center.
"I'm excited," Veinot said. "But I'm also really excited about a really great win today."
Veinot's achievement earned her Tim Hortons Player of the Game honours.
"It's an honour to be able to coach a player like Jayda," added REDS' head coach Erin McAleenan. "You can see the many ways she's able to impact the game at both ends of the floor. I just think her level of focus and determination, and ability to finish at the rim, create opportunities for herself and others, and knock down threes, is really impressive and definitely makes my job that much easier."
The first quarter began with both teams showing why they're the top two seeds in the AUS standings.
Veinot commanded the floor, draining a three-point shot from the top of the arch, giving the REDS a 13-6 lead at 6:39.
The opening quarter would finish with the REDS in the lead 21-16.
In the second quarter, Kylee Speedy (Fredericton, NB) took over, making a buzzer-beating layup, muscling through two Huskies defenders, and following up a few minutes later with a three-point basket which pushed the lead to 39-28.
But the Huskies weren't going to go away quietly.
Aliyah Fraser (New Glasgow, NS) made an impressive three-pointer off a block that gave her lots of room to shoot. Fraser would start a nine-point run for Saint Mary's where they'd catch the REDS, finishing the half tied 39-39
Veinot's milestone came in the third quarter, in great fashion, sinking a three-pointer after receiving a cross-court pass from teammate Jennifer Nkuah (Brampton, ON).
"I'm just really happy for her," said Coach McAleenan. "That she's been able to come back and play her fifth year, as a RED, and then to be able to get that 1500 points, but I know she's probably focused on the bigger picture of our team really succeeding this year."
At a time when her team needed a score, the achievement tied the game 53-53.
The third quarter closed with the Huskies in the lead, 61-59.
A composed REDS team knew what it was going to take to defeat the Huskies, and they did exactly that.
Each team took turns holding the lead, however the REDS duo of Speedy and Leah Travers (Calgary, AB) would push the REDS to an advantage that the Huskies couldn't chase.
The pair would take turns smashing three-point shots halfway through the quarter, getting the REDS lead to 71-65.
UNB captured the 82-73 lead with Speedy contributing six three-point shots and 22 points. Erin Ingalls (St. George, NB) had 15 rebounds, and Veinot finished the night with 24 points.
Courtney Donaldson (Kelowna, BC) led the Huskies with 30 points.
With the win, UNB remains atop of the AUS standings and is now 11-1.
The Huskies fall to 8-3 and are now tied with Acadia for second.
SMU now returns home to take on Cape Breton on Friday.
The REDS are on the road next weekend, taking on the Memorial Sea-Hawks on Friday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30pm Atlantic.
RECAP BY: Madison Tucker/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics