V-Reds top Capers 88-75 in second last regular season game

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) - The UNB Varsity Reds defeated the visiting Cape Breton University Capers by a score of 88-75 Friday night in Fredericton.

Subway Player of the Game honours were awarded to UNB's Dan Quiron who recorded 25 points, five rebounds and four assists. His teammate Javon Masters added 28 points, six ebounds and three assists in the victory.

UNB pulled ahead early, 8-1, with the help of some quality shooting from Quirion. The Capers fought back with some skilled play underneath the net from Arild Geugjes, making ground on the V-Reds,15-9.

Will McFee padded the UNB lead with a three-point and-one, to close out the quarter in the lead, 20-11.  

Cape Breton closed the gap in the second quarter, as Lee MacQuarrie added a three to bring the Capers close at 20-18.

The Varsity Reds pulled away once again, with some distance shooting from Quirion and Jordan Irvine, to extend the lead to 37-26. At the end of the half, the score was 44-26.

Ryan Smith kicked things off for the Varsity Reds in the second half with a long distance three to boost the lead 48-32. Quirion continued his stellar play, adding another long distance marker bringing his tally to 18.

UNB's big-man Hussein Egal brought down some key balls, opening opportunities for Masters to sink four more points and creating a 59-41 lead.

In the final quarter, both teams exchanged baskets early building up a 71-57 tally. The V-Reds continued to secure the baskets below the net; maintaining heavy pressure and forcing the Capers to take some undesired fouls.

Masters, flying through the air, caught a pass from Smith to lay in a crowd-erupting layup, the score: 80-65. As the final buzzer sounded, the Varsity Reds were victorious with a score of 88-75.

Head coach Brent Baker expressed his pleasure in his team's performance saying, "We made some key shots tonight, Javon and Dan got it going from the perimeter, and it was good to see Ryan out there. Our intensity was a heck of a lot better than last week."

With the win, the Varsity Reds clinch fifth place in the AUS conference looking ahead to the 2014 Subway AUS men's basketball championship which will be hosted Feb. 28 - March 2 at the Halifax Metro Centre.

First, however, the Varsity Reds will take on the St. FX X-Men at 8 p.m. Saturday night at the Richard J. Currie Center in their final game of the regular season.

Source: Tom Wilson for UNB Sports Information