Bastien And Butts Lead REDS To Win
(ST. JOHN'S, NL) Ann Bastien came off the UNB bench to score 18 points and lead the REDS in a 94-43 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks in Atlantic University Sport women's basketball play, Friday evening, in St. John's.
Bastien was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
The REDS limited the Sea-Hawks to just nine points in the opening quarter, building a 21-9 lead, and outscored them almost two-to-one in the second, taking a 44-21 lead to the half-time break.
UNB's push continued in the second half.
In the final quarter, the REDS held their hosts to just five points.
51-points is the REDS' largest margin of victory so far this season.
Along with Bastien's big night, Kylee Speedy scored 16 points and Alyssa Jenkins, in her return to St. John's, dropped 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had four assists.
Katie Butts recorded a double-double, including the 1000th regular season point of her AUS career. Butts finished the night with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and a half dozen assists.
"Reaching a thousand points has been a dream of mine since the first time I stepped onto the REDS court, even though younger me never imagined it would actually be possible," said Butts. "I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who has pushed me, developed me, and believed in me from the very beginning."
"I'm so thankful to my teammates and our staff for making it unforgettable," added Butts. "They knew before I did, called a timeout, celebrated with me, and even showered me with water in the team room after. For it to come along with a great team win is the cherry on top."
"Katie joined an elite group of women tonight," said REDS' head coach Erin McAleenan. "The resilience and determination she's shown, especially over the last six and a half weeks, is a reflection of her strong character. Katie is an exceptional student-athlete, and on the court she has become a dominant U SPORTS player at both ends of the floor. Her ability to score in different ways, while also creating scoring opportunities for her teammates, has been a pleasure to witness over her career."
Brooke Delevehat led the home team with 14 points and five rebounds while Serena Phillips scored nine.
The Sea-Hawks shot just 20% from the field.
With the win, the REDS improve to 8-and-1 while the Sea-Hawks are now 3-and-4.
The REDS and Sea-Hawks will tangle again Saturday, the second game of their weekend series. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30pm Atlantic.
"I'm beyond excited to come back to our home court next weekend to celebrate with the REDS family and play my first home game of the season," said Butts.
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
PHOTOS BY: Udantha Chandraratne/for MUN Athletics