Men's Basketball holds on to down Niagara, 65-54
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Niagara (1-2, 1-2) | 8 | 12 | 20 | 14 | 54 |
|
Humber (2-0, 2-0) | 12 | 23 | 16 | 15 | 66 |
By: Nina Kersnik
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – Humber men's basketball (2-0, 3rd West) downed the Niagara Knights (1-2, 7th West) on Wednesday evening at the Humber Athletic Centre, 66-54. Veteran Malik Grant stood out for the Hawks, recording ten points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Game Recap
Following a great start to the season with a 13-point win in their home opener against Conestoga, the Hawks hoped to carry that momentum into this match before going on the road. This time, they were up against the Niagara Knights, who, despite their ranking, proved they would not leave without putting up a good fight.
That proved to be true, as Humber started slow at first compared to the Niagara Knights, who came out with some fast footwork to give themselves an early advantage of 3-0. However, the Hawks would make a comeback as Dwayne Burke stole the ball away and drove into the paint to take back the lead for Humber with 7:51 left to play. Minutes later, head coach Omar Miles sent in a couple of substitutions to drive more offensive play. One of them was shooting guard Nathan Waithe, who hit one from beyond the arc with three seconds on the shot clock. The game stayed tied for a while, with the last chance of the quarter made with 1:05 remaining. This time it was Christian Desjardins who launched one from the three-point line to give the Hawks a 12-7. But a foul on the other end by Tim Morant would cost the home team a point, cutting their lead to four by the end of the frame.
Into the next one, Humber slowly began to piece their offence back together, as Morant came through with a big three-pointer to increase the Hawks' lead to 18. Even though the points were being racked up, neither side could seem to get comfortable on the court, leading to many missed opportunities. Humber's next big chance came off a throw-in near the Hawks' bench with 5:19 left on the clock, when Benni Kazadi would play catch with Kwabena Antwi, who then passed it to point guard Isaiah Brady-Clarke. The Hamilton native would send the ball up and over three Knights' defenders to cash in two points from inside the key. Soon after, both sides would answer back with two points respectively, before Antwi would head back down to swipe the rock away from Niagara's Skylar Samuel in the middle of the court to drive toward the net. The Rexdale native would rattle it with a huge dunk, as the crowd roared in celebration. With just over four minutes left in the half, Humber would take a 16-point lead, 28-12. Niagara would follow with a timeout, but it wouldn't do much for them, as they were only able to create two chances and grab eight points before halftime. At halftime, the Hawks had a 15-point lead, 35-20.
After the break, the Knights found their rhythm slightly to be able to put together a couple plays and lift themselves to 33 points within four minutes of play. Humber would also create a couple of chances and put themselves up by five more. Not long after, Niagara's Joseph Buckley added another two off the glass from a turnover on the other end. Buckley, who created most of his team's chances thus far, secured seven points in the first half of the match. Despite his efforts, the Hawks still lead the game by 11 points, 51-40, by the end of the third.
In the final frame, Humber controlled the pace of play as Nathan Waithe made a layup, increasing the Hawks' lead by three, in just 30 seconds. Over the course of the next few minutes, both sides would fight for some points, but the home team came out on top with a 58-45 lead, with five minutes on the clock. Nearing the end, the Knights, who had the better defence throughout the first half, slowly clawed back on the offensive end. They would execute well on two free throws and a dunk to cut the deficit to nine. With time winding down, Humber kept possession for as long as they could to clinch a 66-54 victory, sending Niagara packing.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks improve to 30-6 all-time against the Knights at home.
- Humber ranks first in the conference in defensive rebounds per game with 34.5.
- Humber ranks first in the OCAA in blocks per game with 5.5.
- Jayar Harewood sits third in the league, averaging 2.0 blocks per game.
What's Next?
The Hawks travel to London for a duel against the Fanshawe Falcons (1-2, 6th West) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Glenn Johnston Athletics Centre.
