Balanced effort leads Huskies to third straight win, 93-80 over REDS

FREDERICTON, NB - The Saint Mary's Huskies delivered a strong second-half performance to win their third straight game, defeating the UNB REDS 93-80 in Atlantic University Sport Men's Basketball action on Saturday night at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center.

All five Huskies starters scored in double-digits, with Marc-Denault Gabriel leading the way with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. Jayrell Diggs added 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Devawn White contributed 16 points off the bench for Saint Mary's.

Marcus Barnes led UNB with 24 points, and Norm Burry added 15 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in the loss.

Turnovers proved costly for the REDS, surrendering 20 points off turnovers to Saint Mary's 9.

The Huskies also dominated in the paint, outscoring UNB 50-18 on the night.

The game's momentum swung in the Huskies' favor from the beginning, opening the first quarter on a 10-3 run, led by Denault, who scored six of his 15 points in the opening frame.

Despite a three-pointer from Jevon Eddy narrowing the gap, a three from Shea Linton-Brown, followed by a 4-0 run by the Huskies, resulted in a 24-16 lead after the first quarter.

The Huskies extended their lead in the second quarter, holding an 18-point advantage after back-to-back threes from Jonas Maers and Tjark Lademacher, establishing a 36-18 lead at 6:48 of the second.

UNB closed the half on a 9-0 run, cutting the deficit to just a 6-point Huskies lead, thanks to Marcus Barnes scoring 8 points in the quarter.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

Shae Linton-Brown dishes a dime to Jonas Maerz for the three! Huskies lead by 13 in the third quarter! pic.twitter.com/ow9fCuWKbO

— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) January 14, 2024

However, a timely three from Gabriel and a steal-and-score from Linton-Brown allowed the Huskies to head into halftime leading 50-39.

The Huskies maintained their momentum into the second half, jumping out to an 18-point lead with a 15-5 run, closing out the third quarter 76-55.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

A great no-look pass from TJ Lademacher! Huskies lead the REDS 76-55 heading into the fourth quarter. pic.twitter.com/ZDC0laRugR

— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) January 14, 2024

Anthony Sears provided a spark off the bench for the REDS at the start of the fourth quarter, contributing a layup and a 3-pointer. Barnes also hit a three, closing the gap to 15.

The REDS mounted an 8-0 run with consecutive threes from Eden Otshuidi and Barnes, bringing the score to 88-78 with less than 3 minutes to go.

However, the Huskies managed a late 5-0 run to secure the 93-80 victory.

HUSKIES HIGHLIGHTS ��

Devawn White throws down the exclamation point on the Huskies 93-80 win over the UNB REDS! pic.twitter.com/q1nfYVxghx

— Saint Mary's Huskies (@SMUHuskies) January 14, 2024

With the win, the Huskies leapfrog the REDS in the AUS standings with a 5-6 record. The Huskies are back at home this weekend, hosting the Cape Breton Capers (6-6) for a pair of games at Homburg Centre on Friday and Saturday, with tip-off at 6 p.m. GET TICKETS

The REDS loss drops their record to 5-7 on the campaign. They'll be on the road next weekend, visiting the Memorial Sea-Hawks (6-6) on Friday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Recap by: Evan Richtsfeld/ for UNB Athletics
Photos by: James West/ for UNB Athletics