(FREDERICTON, N.B.) The UNB Varsity Reds won the first of two match-ups against StFX this weekend, besting the X-Women 82-61 on Friday night at the Richard J. Currie Center.

Although UNB led throughout the game, it was a close first half with teams trading point for point. The Varsity Reds defence struggled to keep up with the X-Women's speed in transition, and the game went into halftime with UNB up 36-31.

The V-Reds came into the second half with a tightened defence, and that's when they managed to find some momentum and pull away on the scoreboard. Leading the charge for UNB was post Katelyn Mangold with 21 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Not far behind was guard Laura Kaye with 19 points, two rebounds and four assists.

Rachel Cleary and Chelsey Collette each contributed nine points for the V-Reds while former X-Woman Kiley Delong netted eight points and seven boards off the bench.

Solid performances also came from StFX's Lindsay Lessard and Melissa Gottschall, who posted 18 points apiece. Lessard led the X-Women in rebounding with eight on the evening.

Kolbi Roper, returning to the X-Women line-up off an injury scored 14 points and five rebounds.

Mangold says the Varsity Reds came into this game with a different energy than they had last weekend, and that that, coupled with improved transitions in the second half, is what made the difference.

The X-Women had 23 turnovers in the game compared to the Varsity Reds 15.

UNB are now 3-0 on home court and 3-2 overall. They host StFX (2-2) again tomorrow at 4:00 pm.

Contributions from UNB Athletics Communications