(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS clinched a hard-fought Atlantic University Sport men's basketball victory over the Memorial Sea-Hawks, winning 77-65 in their home opener in front of a packed Richard J. CURRIE CENTER on Friday night.

In a thrilling second half, the REDS staged a remarkable comeback led by second-year guard Marcus Barnes (Kitchener, ON), who delivered an impressive performance with 19 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

"We really picked it up as a team in the second half," said Barnes. "I wanted to take it upon myself to contribute to a big second-half push and I think I did that."

Barnes' contributions earned him Tim Horton's Player of the Game.

The game started with Memorial surging to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, driven by Flynn Boardman-Raffet (London, UK), who scored nine of his 16 points during the opening frame. UNB, after a timely timeout, fought back, reducing Memorial's lead to seven points by the end of the quarter, culminating in a beautiful layup by Reese Zorogole (Halifax, NS), leaving the score at 24-17.

The Sea-Hawks maintained their momentum in the second quarter, shooting an impressive 52.8% from the floor in the first half. They dominated the boards, outrebounding the REDS 23-15, giving them a commanding 24-17 lead at the half. 

The REDS emerged re-energized in the second half, going on a 13-0 run, with sharp outside shooting narrowing the gap to 46-37. Norm Burry's (Grafton, NB) three-pointer and another layup came before Barnes' third three-pointer of the quarter gave UNB their first lead of the night and the REDS ended the third ahead 56-54.

The REDS maintained their momentum in the fourth quarter, with Javardo Mitchell (Woodbridge, ON) contributing on two lob attempts to extend UNB's lead to 65-59. Memorial made a late surge with a layup from Boardman-Raffet, but the REDS countered with a 7-0 run, establishing an 11-point lead, their largest of the game. The REDS wouldn't give up that lead, closing out the game and completing the comeback.

Both teams will meet again Saturday night for game two of this weekend's double-header. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

RECAP BY: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics