Tigers drop final regular season home game to Reds

Game recap by: Kirk Jessome

(Halifax, NS) – In the final home game of the regular season for the Dalhousie Tigers, they hosted the UNB Reds at the Dalplex. After a tight first half, the defensive pressure of the Reds was too much for the Tigers, and UNB came away with the 78-59 win.

Both teams were aggressive on the defensive end, getting up tight on ball-handlers which resulted in steals, but also blow-by layups for both teams.

Working the ball inside, both teams were shooting at a high percentage. Lia Kentzler (Gottingen, GER) led the early scoring for the Tigers working with her back to the basket, while Grace Simpson (Fredericton, NB) did a great job of slashing from the top for the Reds.

With both teams shooting well in the opening frame, neither side was able to gain an advantage as they went into the second quarter with the score tied at 19-19.

The Tigers ran into some trouble on the offensive end in the second quarter with turnovers piling up against them, many in the form of offensive fouls. The Reds were able to use the extra possessions to push the ball in transition and go on a short run.

The midrange game cooled off for the Reds in the final minutes of the quarter however, and the Tigers were able to settle in with a run of their own. Karina May (Moncton, NB) and Sophie Gaube (Hubley, NS) were able to spark the run with threes on back to back possessions to reclaim the lead.

The run was capped off by a beautiful floater over the top from May, helping the Tigers take a 35-30 lead at the half.

Full-court pressure defense from the Reds gave the Tigers issues getting settled into their offensive sets, even when they were able to get the ball across the timeline. Passes were rushed, and the turnovers continued to add up.

Taking advantage of the extra possessions, the Reds showed composure in their half-court sets, opening up room for Simpson and Mikaela Dodig (Bolton, ON) to get into the paint to knock down a few nice midrange jumpers.

The Tigers were held to just three points in the final five minutes of the third quarter, while the Reds had their highest scoring quarter of the game at 27-9. With 24 turnovers through three quarters, the Tigers found themselves trailing 57-44 to the Reds going into the final quarter.

The Tigers were able to pick up a few tough offensive plays, like Robertha Charles (Montreal, QC) finishing through contact at the rim for a three-point play, but the turnovers and interior presence from Simpson gave the Reds a lead that was too much to come back from.

With the final buzzer sounding on the Tigers regular season, the Reds were able to spoil Senior Night with their 78-59 win.

Sophie Gaube led the Tigers scorers with 12 points, on 2-3 shooting from deep. Grace Simpson earned the Subway Player of the Game title, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

After the game the Tigers were able to take time to honour their five graduating athletes: Ashley Cain, Michele Tchiakoua, Sophie Gaube, Robertha Charles, and Diedre Alexander.

The Reds will finish their regular season next weekend with a pair of 4-point games against Saint Mary's and Acadia. The Tigers head to Memorial for their final games of the regular season.