The University of New Brunswick Reds will play for a national championship Sunday.
Let that sink in for a minute.
The Reds, champions of the Atlantic University Sport women’s basketball conference, punched the university’s first-ever ticket to a national final as they will battle in the championship of the USPORTS Final 8 in Quebec City.
Game time is 6 p.m. (ADT) Sunday against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, who defeated host Universite de Laval Rouge et Or, 55-43.
UNB and head coach Erin McAleenan entered the fray as the nation’s No. 2 seed and made good on that, eliminating the University of Calgary Dinos Saturday night with a 70-66 triumph.
The Reds had defeated Ottawa’s Carleton University Ravens on Thursday in quarter-final, earning the semifinal berth and an extra day of rest before meeting the Dinos.
UNB had last made it to the national semifinal in 2006. It has silver medals in 1972, 1974 and 1976 while mining bronze in 1975 and 1999.
The Reds held a 35-31 lead at recess and extended that mark with a 24-14 run in the pivotal third quarter. Calgary made some fourth quarter noise and had UNB fans on the edge of their seats with a 21-11 frame, but couldn’t close the gap.
AUS playoff MVP Katie Butts continued her strong national performance, posting 20 points, coming off a 31-point effort against Carleton. Kylee Speedy knocked down 16 and Katie McAffee had 10. Speedy sunk four treys.
Butts, Speedy and McAffee are all former Maritime Women’s Basketball Association players with the Fredericton Freeze. Former Freeze members Ann Bastien and Maheva Ngassam are UNB starters. Leah Travers is a former Freeze player and Zoe Olscamp of the Reds played last season in the MWBA with the Lake City 56ers of Darmouth/Cole Harbour/Preston. UNB’s Clancy McIntyre played with Saint John’s Port City Fog.
