The UNB Reds (5-3) took the first game of the weekend series against the Memorial Sea-Hawks (3-6) 87-79.

The first quarter saw the Reds firing on all cylinders, posting a whooping 33 in the quarter. They started hot on a 6-0 run and kept that momentum for the remainder of the quarter. At the end of the quarter, the Reds were leading 33-20.

The second quarter was slightly better for the Hawks, but they could not establish any consistency. They had glimpses of momentum, propelled by a strong bench performance from Hallie Nickerson. Nickerson was the bright spot for the Hawks in the first half, creating offense from defense, and forcing and converting on the Reds' defensive fouls. At the half, the Reds maintained their lead, 53-40.

UNB was supported by Mikaela Dodig' 21 points, and 6 assists. Grace Simpson followed with 13 points. As a team, the Reds shot a flaming-hot 61% from the field in the first half. The Hawks were buoyed by Sydney Stewarts quiet 18, and Hallie Nickerson's 10 off the bench. The Hawks struggled to score as a team, shooting 22% from deep, and under 40% from the field.

The second half was more of the same, for both teams. The Reds held a consistent lead after the third, 70-53. The fourth quarter was the defining quarter of the game. The Hawks had a fantastic 8-0 run against the Reds, finally presenting a challenge to their opponent. Unfortunately for the Hawks, their late run was too little, too late.

UNB had three of their five starters score in double-digit figures: Eva Tumwine, Grace Simpson, and Mikaela Dodig, who also earned Subway player-of-the-game recognitions.

For the Hawks, Sydney Stewart led the charge with 31. Hallie Nickerson had a solid 14 off the bench, and Sydney Ezekiel supported Stewart in the starting line with 15 of her own.

After this tough loss, the Hawks will be looking to split the weekend series against the Reds tomorrow. The final game of the weekend tips off at 12:00pm and will be available on austv.ca.