By Bobby Mihalik
Humber Athletics Sports Information
ETOBICOKE, Ont – The 2018 OCAA women’s basketball championship at Humber College Athletic Centre in Etobicoke, Ont. came to an end Sunday with the gold medal matchup between the host Humber Hawks (20-0, 1st West) and the Fanshawe Falcons (17-3, 2nd West). Taking a large lead in the first quarter, the Hawks rode their dominant offence to a 69-54 win, earning their record-tying fourth-straight provincial gold medal.
The Hawks got started early, scoring first in the quarter before jumping out to an 11-4 lead four minutes into the game. Despite the Falcons’ best efforts, they could not stop the Hawks offence, who used two different ten-point runs to jump far ahead on the scoreboard, leading 26-8 entering the second.
Eager to not be left behind, the Falcons struck first in the second and kept pace with the Hawks through the first five minutes of the second, only being outscored 10-8. The Hawks tried to crank up the pressure, but the Falcons would ultimately match the Hawks in points during the second, staying 18 points behind the Hawks and entering the second half trailing 39-21.
Though the Hawks scored first in the third, the Falcons kept pushing, outpacing the Hawks through the majority of the quarter. Shrinking their deficit by six, the Falcons pulled within 12 points of the Hawks, who remained ahead by a score of 52-40 as both teams entered the final quarter of the OCAA season.
The beginning of the fourth and final quarter marked a sharp decline in offence for both teams, with the Hawks outscoring the Falcons 4-0 through the first four minutes. The Hawks then returned to their first quarter form, scoring 11 straight and taking the game in hand. Protecting their lead the rest of the way, the Hawks secured gold with a 69-54 victory, winning their fourth-straight provincial championship.
The Hawks finished shooting 33.3 percent (28-of-84) from the field and making 20 percent (5-of-25) of their three-point attempts. The Falcons went 28.6 percent (20-of-70) from the field but notched 92.3 percent (12-of-13) of their free throw shots.
Aleena Domingo led the Hawks offensively in their gold medal match, scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Miea Campbell-Johnson, with 13 points and seven rebounds, was named the Player of the Game for Humber. Ceejay Nofuente, with 11 points and 13 rebounds, also finished with a double-double.
Leading the Falcons was Ali Vlasman, who had 20 points and ten rebounds for a double-double. Chuot Angou had 13 points and was named the Player of the Game for Fanshawe, while Mikhaila Wright had ten points and a team-high three blocks.
Domingo and Leticia Lopez were named Tournament All-Stars for Humber, and Wright and Vlasman were named All-Stars for Fanshawe. Ceejay Nofuente of Humber was named the Tournament MVP after the match.
