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Symphony in A. Sharpe

Giant killers | V-Reds work overtime to knock off previously unbeaten Cape

All eyes were on the undefeated Cape Breton University Capers at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym Friday night and their Fredericton-bred maestro, Kelsey Hodgson, but the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds decided to play headliner.

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Call it a symphony in "A. Sharpe."

UNB's Amanda Sharpe scored a game-high 36 points, hitting on 14 of 16 shots from the field, and added eight rebounds and two steals to lift the Varsity Reds to an 87-86 overtime victory over the Atlantic University Sport Women's Basketball Conference leading Capers.

"Amanda is one of the best players in the country and she showed everyone that here tonight against Cape Breton," said UNB head coach Jeff Speedy whose team raises its record to 7-9 with its sights set on a playoff spot. "They are the fourth ranked team in the CIS and this is a huge win for us.

"They kicked us around the last weekend we played them at Cape Breton (Jan. 8-9) and I didn't need to press too many buttons this week in practice to get our team up for this game," said Speedy. "We were competing better for loose balls and winning battles out there tonight. We are a close-knit team and it showed in this game."

Along with Sharpe, Reds point guard Megan Corby was on her game and spreading the ball around effectively while adding 16 points, while second year shooting guard Jordanne Holstein was on fire, hitting eight of 11 from the field to match Corby's 16 points.

The Reds feel theirs is a team built on sharing the load and having a solid lineup from top to bottom, and see themselves as serious contenders for the league title, regardless of the fact that they sit sixth among the eight team AUS league.

"We know we can compete seem to get some extra energy and feed off of this crowd (450 strong on this night)," said Sharpe, a fourth year Science Kinesiology student who sat fourth in league scoring before the game at 18.5 points per game.

"Defence was the key to this win and everyone played as a team;. Obviously containing Hodgson was a key and we did a decent job of that and Jordanne's timely baskets in the fourth quarter gave us a great deal of momentum to finish them off."

The game came down to the final buzzer, as a pair of missed shots by the Capers - one by Hodgson - with two seconds left on the clock forced overtime as the teams finished tied at 74 at full time after jockeying back and forth with leads of two and four for the entire second half.

Cape Breton led at half 40-37, before Sharpe took the reins. She blocked two shots to open the third quarter and led UNB on a 9-0 run, holding the Capers off the scoresheet for the first five minutes of the half. UCB roared back at the close of the third with Sharpe sitting on the bench to recapture a 58-52 lead.

When Sharpe returned, she and Holstein decided enough was enough. Sharpe took charge under the hoop and the sharpshooting Holstein sank three consecutive baskets in the span of two minutes, setting the tone for UNB to step it up a notch in overtime.

"Jordanne is really shooting the ball well but she's also doing great work on the boards (two rebounds on the game) and in other parts of her game," said Speedy of Holstein, a Calgary native taking Biochemistry.

Holstein was unfazed by the Capers record and proud of her teammates.

"We're not intimidated by them because we feel when we are consistent with our depth we can play with anyone. We just need to raise our level of play and practice like we play," said Holstein.

"We play for each other on this team and we have each others backs and we have the talent on this team to win the conference and this outcome proves it - Cape Breton is not undefeated anymore."

The loss was not a shock or a major step back in the eyes of Capers coach Fabian McKenzie, who sees his team drop to 15-1 on the season.

"This is not a huge setback for us, we don't get too upset at one win or loss because we're focused on the end result so this outcome doesn't bother me at all," said McKenzie.

"Hodgson and (Moncton native Kari) Everett were not close to being themselves tonight and that will happen. But I'll put the ball in their hands anytime, it's just tonight UNB outhustled us."

Hodgson, the leading scorer in the CIS, still managed to strike for 29 points and seven rebounds despite only shooting eight of 22 from the field, while Everett dropped 13 points and added six rebounds to lead the Capers offensively. They will get another crack at the Reds today as the two teams will face each other once again at the Main Gym. Game time is 1 p.m. while the men play at 3 p.m.

In the men's half of the Friday twinbill, the Capers cruised to an 84-65 win to improve to 13-1 on the season while Brent Baker's V-Reds dropped to 1-13 with the loss. James Dorsey III led the Capers' attack with 18 points in 28 minutes, and Scott Jaspers-Fayer added 16. Paris Carter was the only other Caper in double figures, with 10 points.

Michael Anderson led the V-Reds with 14 points. Colton Wilson and Dustin Anthony each added 13 in a losing cause.