WOLFVILLE, N.S. - The UNB Reds won their second game of the weekend against the Acadia Axemen with a 77-75 overtime victory.
The Axemen exploded for 28 points in the first quarter giving them a double-digit lead after 10 minutes.
Ibrahima Doumbouya (Calgary, Alta.) dominated in the first quarter with 10 of his team's first 16 points as well as 5 rebounds.
With a 28-16 Acadia lead heading into the second quarter, the Reds responded quickly in the second with a 10-2 run, cutting Acadia's lead to just four points.
Although the Axemen had a slow start to the second quarter, they shut down the Reds for the rest of the half. Both teams ended up scoring 14 points in the second quarter to put the score at 42-30.
Acadia's Jack Tilley (Quispamsis, N.B.) put up 11 points in the first half, including three for four from the field, two for three from three, and three for three from the charity stripe.
The third quarter, like the second, was quite close. The Reds had 18 points and the Axemen had 17, but the Axemen still held on to a 59-48 advantage after three quarters.
Both teams had multiple players with three-plus fouls, forcing the coaches to pick their lineups strategically for the remainder of the game.
The Reds were able to scrape their way back into the game and had the score tied with four minutes remaining in the fourth.
With 21 seconds remaining, the Axemen were down three and had possession. Marcus Upshaw (Burlington, Ont.) was able to lay it in and bring the Axemen within 1 with 14 seconds on the clock. Upshaw's late-game performance got him named his team's player of the game.
When the Reds went to inbound the ball, Brett Speedy (Fredericton, N.B.) stole the ball and drew a foul, sending him to the line for two. He would only hit one, tying up the game at 70.
As the Reds went to bring up the ball, Acadia got another steal and Upshaw had a chance to end the game on a mid-range jump shot, but his shot did not drop. The Axemen and the Reds would need overtime to decide a winner.
The score entering overtime was tied at 70.
The Reds took the early lead in overtime, but Acadia was right with them for the entire five minutes, never going down by more than a basket. The Axemen were down by 2 with 12 seconds remaining.
Acadia could not get a good shot off and the UNB Reds walked away with the 77-75 win.
"A tough loss. I was proud of how our guys responded after last night. We played great team basketball and gave ourselves a great chance to win that game. Credit to UNB for hanging tough and outlasting us tonight," said Acadia head coach Kevin Duffie following the tough loss.
Doumbouya played a huge role in the win for the Reds with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists and was named the Subway Player of the Game award. Matur Maluach added 16 points for the Reds.
Marcus Upshaw led the Axemen with 16 points, while teammates Jack Tilley and Jacques Lukusa each netted 11 points.
Acadia will visit St. FX on Friday for a 4-point game, while the Reds will host the UPEI Panthers next Saturday.
Provided by Theodore Giesen, Acadia Athletics Communications
Photo by Peter Oleskevich