Big second half leads Reds over Panthers

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds scored 55 second half points on route to a 90-56 win over the visiting UPEI Panthers on Friday night. 

Jesse Kendall (Guelph, ON) led the Varsity Reds, scoring 16 points. Kendall was 4-for-6 from three-point range. 

"I felt a lot more confident, had a lot more energy," said Kendall. "If a guy hits a shot, it's a bit of a rule, you go right back to him. And it was working with other guys too. Spence hit a shot and Iba, a lot of guys stepped up tonight." 

Ibrahima Doumbouya(Calgary, AB) came off the bench to score 11 and pull down 5 rebounds for UNB. He was named the Subway Player of the Game. 

Every Varsity Red scored in the win. 

Despite that, UNB head coach Brent Baker was less than satisfied with his starters. 

"I thought they didn't come with enough intensity and that's why we subbed them all out at the start of the second half," said Baker. "We practiced harder for the last two weeks than we played here tonight. " 

Milorad Sedlarevic(Vesenice, SLOV.) led the Panthers with 13 points, while Samy Mohamed(Scarborough, ON) threw in 10. 

Vernelle Johnson(Beechville, NS), who scored nine points off the bench, says the Panthers' defence wasn't up to the task. 

"They've got a lot of shooters and we didn't really do our jobs, we left a lot of guys open," said Johnson. "When they're wide open, they hit a lot of shots." 

"Guys on our defence should've got there and didn't get there. It gave them open shots," he said. 

Kendall hit back-to-back three-point jump shots mid-way through the second quarter to give UNB a 24-11 lead. 

The home team led 35-22 at the half. 

Doumbouya made three three-point shots in the third quarter, as UNB extended its lead to 61-40. 

The Varsity Reds used a 16-0 fourth quarter run to put the game out of reach. 

"We have to play at a higher level," said Baker. "Our half court execution was atrocious. It was really not very good. Our defence was good, but our execution has to get better." 

With the win, UNB is now 14-and-3 this season, good for second place in the Atlantic University Sport standings. 

UPEI falls to 3-and-14. The Panthers are in seventh place. 

UNB hosts UPEI again Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00pm. 

RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics