UNB Saint John Athletics
Home of the Seawolves

It was an early test for the UNB Saint John men’s basketball team.
After a 99-76 road loss to St. Thomas University in Fredericton, the Seawolves returned to the Port City, knowing they would be back on the court in less than 24 hours.
Undaunted, the Seawolves posted an 80-74 win over the University of King’s College. Ethan Szemerda scored a game-high 31 points for the winners while notching 10 rebounds. AJ Nash potted 16 points and Jack Fury-Miller added 14.
“To bounce back the next day, it was nice to see,” Seawolves head coach Paul Vaughan said. “We played really well down the stretch. There’s lots of excitement around the team right now.”
Injuries to key contributors have forced Vaughan to put his players in different positions. So far, the coach is encouraged with what he’s seen.
“We have some flexibility on our roster,” Vaughan said. “We have some guys that can play multiple positions and defend multiple people, so that should be an advantage.”

Vaughan credits Nash for a strong start, noting his 10-point fourth quarter in the victory over King’s while also praising the player’s efforts on the other side of the ball.
“He’s been our best perimeter defender so far,” the coach said. “He’s been guarding the other team’s best player and doing a great job with that.”
The Seawolves, who lost their third game 96-83 to Holland College, have six more tilts before the Christmas break.
“We’re still trying to find our identity,” Vaughan said. “It’s still a work in progress.”

The same can be said for the UNB Saint John women’s squad, which dropped its first three contests. Regardless, head coach Kevin Munroe is optimistic.
“This is probably the most talented team I’ve had, one to 12,” he said. “We just need more games.”
With a young roster, many players are still adjusting to the jump from high school to the college ranks.
“It’s the speed,” Munroe said. “Teams (in the ACAA) play at a pretty high speed, so we’re getting everybody used to that level of play. It’s kind of like learning as you go, but we’re getting better every game. We gave Holland College a pretty good run.”
Indeed. Despite the 81-68 loss in Charlottetown on Nov. 4, Avrey Alward scored 15 points for the Seawolves, while Brynna MacKenzie and Laura Prekaj each had 13.
Another solid individual performance came when Bailey Henderson collected 18 points and 12 rebounds in an 80-44 loss to the University of King’s College on Oct. 28. UNB Saint John started the season with a 69-35 setback to St. Thomas.
Meanwhile, Munroe remains proud of the program’s consistency in attracting high achievers.

There’s a long list of former Seawolves now prospering as professionals in various fields.
“That’s the hallmark of the program,” Munroe said. “We’re going to keep hanging our hats on that. I sleep well at night. They’re all leaving with a degree, and I’d say 50 per cent or more go on to graduate studies of some kind.”