UNB men’s basketball opens winter semester with energized home win
- Suzanne Shah
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The sound of sneakers cut across the hardwood mixed with the steady rise of crowd noise inside the Richard J. Currie Center.
On Jan. 9, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) men’s basketball team returned, marking the start of the winter semester.
Each defensive stop drew claps and calls from the crowd, followed by a swell of noise as UNB pushed the ball up the court in transition. The bench mirrored the energy, with players standing during key moments and reacting to stops on the defensive end.
The Reds defeated the Cape Breton Capers 72–62, using early defensive pressure and steady scoring to maintain control.
“I feel like UNB [is] hitting their shots,” said Jim Clair, a Fredericton resident who attended the game. “They’re playing with good energy.”
Clair said he attends UNB basketball games often and highlighted the atmosphere inside the building as a key part of the experience.
“This is the best part of campus,” he said.
UNB established an early lead as the bench stayed active and the crowd responded to defensive stops and transition baskets.
During several possessions, chants rose from the student section as UNB forced turnovers near mid-court and converted quickly at the other end.
Eden Otshudi, a third-year point guard, played a central role in the team’s offensive flow, repeatedly bringing the ball up the floor and directing play. In the first half, Otshudi pushed the pace after a defensive stop, drawing defenders before moving the ball to a teammate cutting toward the basket.
Friday’s game marked the return to competition following the holiday break, a moment UNB in-game announcer David Lawrence said brought renewed energy to the Currie Center.
“It’s great to be back after the holiday break,” Lawrence said. “The teams look great. It’s always so much fun and the energy in here is just so incredible.”
Lawrence pointed to the student presence and halftime entertainment as moments that lifted the atmosphere heading into the second half.
“You could hear the fans,” he said. “That was super exciting.”
Following the game, Otshudi said the team’s focus heading into the matchup was clear.
“I think we came through with them,” he said. “It was honestly just to play good defence [as] our number one priority and everything else [would] take care of itself.”
Along the sideline, Joe Salerno, head coach of the team, remained focused throughout the game, watching closely as his team moved through defensive sets.
“I really like [our play] on the defensive side of the ball, something we’ve been trying to improve on since we got back from the break,” he said. “Offensively, I thought we still struggled a bit.”
Salerno said decision-making remains a focus moving forward.
As the winter semester begins, the game marked not just a win for UNB, but a return to routine, rhythm and shared spaces inside the Richard J. Currie Center.