REDS Find Silver Lining At U SPORTS Championship

(QUEBEC CITY, QUE.) The UNB REDS are U SPORTS silver medallists after falling 77-68 to the Saskatchewan Huskies in the gold medal game at the U SPORTS women's basketball championship tournament, in Quebec City, on Sunday.

The Huskies, the defending national champs, outscored the REDS 25-18 in the fourth quarter to edge away in what had been a close game.

The REDS led 50-48 late in the third quarter but trailed 52-50 after 30 minutes and were never able to pull even in the late going, despite strong runs.

UNB played a great third quarter, using a 13-0 run to turn a 44-32 half-time deficit into a 45-44 lead.

The REDS held the Huskies off the scoreboard for the first 7:19 of the third quarter and outscored Saskatchewan 18-8 in the frame.

In the end the Huskies prevailed, and the REDS earned the program's fourth silver medal at the national championships and first in 50 years (1972, 1974, 1976, 2026).

Kylee Speedy led the REDS in the championship game with 16 points while Katie Butts, in her final game as a RED, scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Both Butts and Speedy were named to the national championship tournament's all-star team.

Maheva Ngassam scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and Zoe Olscamp came off the REDS bench to score nine points and grab seven rebounds.

Logan Reider came off the Huskies bench to lead her team with 19 points while Maya Flindall scored 17. Reider was the only Saskatchewan non-starter to score points in the game.

The REDS beat Carleton in the quarter-finals and Calgary in the semi-finals after winning UNB's first Atlantic University Sport championship since 1999.

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
PHOTO BY: Michel Belanger/for Laval Athletics