WINDSOR, Ont. - The 2023 OCAA Men's Basketball Provincial Championship tipped off at 1 p.m. today with the first quarter-final of the tournament, a contest that featured the defending OCAA and CCAA Champion Humber Hawks (9-9) taking on the nationally ranked No. 11 Mohawk Mountaineers (14-4). The Mountaineers won both meetings this year between the West Division opponents, defeating Humber 83-80 on the road in the first semester and routing the Hawks at home 96-72 in the second term.
The Mountaineers captured the victory to kick off the tournament with a 93-81 win over the defending champion Humber Hawks to advance and play will in semi-final No. 1 on Saturday, March 4th at 4 p.m. Mohawk now awaits the winner of quarter-final No. 2 featuring the No. 2-nationally ranked George Brown Huskies (17-1) who will face the Niagara Knights (11-7) at 3 p.m.
Mohawk came out firing in the first quarter, forcing contested shots and turnovers from the defending champs, opening a 26-16 lead after the opening frame. Humber punched back in the second quarter, sorting out their shooting woes and raining down triples at the SportsPlex to the tune of a 32-point quarter, taking a 48-44 lead into the intermission.
The halftime break allowed the Mountaineers to regroup and find their offensive rhythm from the first quarter as they took a narrow 69-67 lead heading into the final frame. Humber guard Dwayne Lambert-Cadore (Rexdale, Ont.) picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and didn't return until early in the fourth quarter. During that timeframe, Mohawk opened a double-digit lead, leading by as many as 14 in the final quarter on their way to a hard fought 93-81.
Mohawk, known for their three-point shooting, struggled from beyond the arc making only six triples and shooting 23 per cent from distance but made up for it with 48 per cent overall shooting and 48 points in the paint. Mohawk's defence also limited Humber to 38 per cent from the field and only one second half triple.
A balanced scoring attack from Mohawk had five players reach double figures, lead by point guard Daniel Graham (Hamilton, Ont.) with 20 points. Brothers Cale Calura (Hamilton, Ont.) and Rommel Calura (Hamilton, Ont.) had big contributions with 19 points and 17 points respectively. Jerry Jr. Mercury (Scarborough, Ont.) had a double-double for the Mountaineers with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Raivone Young (Halifax, N.S.) rounded out the Mohawk double figure scorers with 10 points.
On the Humber side, Lambert-Cadore lead all scorers with 28 points. He was joined by Raheem Dennis (Mississauga, Ont.) with 16 points and Kyle Brown-Fazekas (Windsor, Ont.) with 11 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort.
Lambert-Cadore was named Player of the Game for the Hawks, while Mercury was named Player of the Game for the victorious Mountaineers.
GEORGE BROWN ADVANCES AFTER OUTLASTING NIAGARA
The second quarter-final showcased the only team from the East Division to qualify for the 2023 OCAA men's basketball provincial championship in the No. 3 nationally-ranked George Brown Huskies (18-1) taking on the fourth seed from the West Division, the Niagara Knights (12-7).
In a battle of defensive stalwarts, the George Brown Huskies came away with a hard-nosed 74-61 victory. Both teams struggled from the field, but George Brown relied on 17 offensive rebounds that generated 16 second chance points to pull away from the Knights and keep their championship aspirations alive. The Huskies will now take on the Mohawk Mountaineers on Saturday, March 4th at 4 p.m. in a marquee matchup featuring two nationally ranked squads.
Niagara showed up ready to play in the first quarter and was unafraid of the top ranked Huskies, taking a 21-14 lead to close out the first frame. The Huskies trimmed the lead in the second quarter, but the underdog Knights took a 39-35 lead into the half in a low scoring affair.
The third quarter showcased much of the same as the first half with both teams unable to find any flow offensively in this grind it out game. George Brown held Niagara to 13 points in the third quarter and took the lead heading in the final stanza 55-52. The Knights were unable to remove the lid on the rim, mustering nine fourth quarter points as the Huskies expanded their lead. The Huskies leaned on their defence and balanced shot creation to advance to Saturday's semifinal No. 1 with a 74-61 victory.
George Brown relied on balanced scoring all season and today was no different with four players in double figures, lead by Naseem Barry (Toronto, Ont.) with 19 points and seven rebounds. Derrick Taylor (Ajax, Ont.) controlled both ends of the floor, registering a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Andre Barrow (Markham, Ont.) and Robert Ocampo (Toronto, Ont.) both tallied 13 points to help the Huskies advance to the medal round.
The Knights had only two players crack double digits as OCAA West Division Second-Team All-Star Delroy Grandison (Nassau, Bahamas) lead the way with a 16-point, 10 rebound double-double. Reggie Williams (Toronto, Ont.) chipped in with 13 points as the Knights end their season.
Delroy Grandison was named Player of the Game for Niagara in a losing effort. Derrick Taylor was named Player of the Game for the advancing George Brown Huskies.
LIONS BLITZ SHERIDAN IN BLOWOUT WIN TO ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS
The first game of the evening wave of quarter-finals boasted a matchup between two West Division rivals as the No. 13 nationally-ranked Sheridan Bruins (13-6) squared off against the Lambton Lions (10-9). The third quarter-final of the tournament was a rubber match between these two teams as they split their two regular season matchups.
Lambton got off to a blistering start, netting 10 triples in the first half and shooting 58 per cent with only five turnovers in the opening half. They held a 26-point halftime lead and never looked back as they routed the nationally ranked and perennial powerhouse Sheridan Bruins 105-69 to advance to the second semi-final on Saturday evening. Lambton now awaits the winner of the nightcap between the host and No. 4 nationally-ranked St. Clair Saints (15-3) and the Conestoga Condors (12-7).
Lambton jumped out to a huge lead in the opening frame 31-12 and built on that lead to take a 59-33 lead into the half. The second half was much of the same as Lambton's hot shooting continued and Sheridan was unable to mount any momentum. Lambton captured their second upset of the playoffs with a 105-69 win to advance to the medal round of the 2023 OCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
Lambton had five scorers in double figures as they shot the lights out at the SportsPlex on Friday night. Tyrelle Miller (Brampton, Ont.) led the way scoring a tournament-high 30 points on 61 per cent shooting. He was joined by teammates Journee Joseph (Brampton, Ont.) with 22 points, Jerry Wilson (Detroit, Mich.) with 16 points, Byanungu Ngakira (London, Ont.) with 12 points and Georgi Nedyalkov (Toronto, Ont.) with 12 points.
Sheridan had two players in double figures, lead by OCAA West Division First Team All-Star Mohamud Qasim (Toronto, Ont.) who scored 22 points on 50 per cent shooting. His teammate Jaidyn Dorman (Mississauga, Ont.) chipped in 16 points in the losing cause.
Qasim was named Player of the Game for Sheridan. Miller was named Player of the Game for the Lambton Lions.
BALANCED ATTACK LEADS HOST SAINTS PAST CONDORS
The last quarter-final of the day featured the hometown darling and the No. 4 nationally-ranked St. Clair Saints (15-3) taking on the Conestoga Condors (12-7). This quarter-final match is also a rubber match after both squads split the regular season series.
The St. Clair Saints entered the quarter-final with OCAA championship aspirations and showed the hometown crowd exactly why they are capable of making a deep run at the 2023 OCAA Men's Basketball Championship with an impressive 97-85 victory. The Saints will now take on the Lambton Lions (11-9) at 6:30 p.m. for a chance to clinch a spot in the gold medal match and a berth at the 2023 CCAA National Championship.
The host Saints sprinted out of the gate to take a 17-8 lead on a Terence Williams triple (Windsor, Ont.) forcing a Conestoga timeout. The visiting Condors responded with a 19-4 run to end the quarter and took a 27-21 lead heading into the second frame.
The second quarter provided very entertaining basketball for the capacity crowd at the SportsPlex and they were energized with a 30-point quarter from the Saints to take a 51-42 lead at the half. Jalen Harmon (Ypsilanti, Mich.) lead the way for the Saints in the first half with 12 points shooting a perfect 5-5 from the floor and 2-2 from the free throw line. The Condors were spearheaded by Sam Pingle (Burlington, Ont.) who knocked down two triples and tallied 11 points at the intermission.
The teams came out of halftime exchanging baskets for the first few minutes before the Saints had a mini jolt that pushed the lead to 65-50 with a Williams layup. The Condors closed out the third quarter strong to shrink the gap back down to nine, as the Saints led 73-64 heading into the fourth quarter.
Conestoga opened the final stanza with four unanswered points following back-to-back turnovers by the Saints that cut the lead to 73-68. But that is the closest that the visiting Condors would get. The Saints stretched their lead to 18 on a thunderous breakaway dunk by Chad Vincent-Simon with two minutes remaining that iced the game and advanced the St. Clair Saints to the medal round with a 97-85 victory.
The Saints once again showed the firepower they possess on the offensive end as they shot 52 per cent from the floor but it was their defence that brought home the victory tonight against a prolific Conestoga offence. The Saints held the dynamic duo of Ladera Ujullu-Obang (Kitchener, Ont.) and Terell Lloyd (Woodstock, Ont.) to a combined 34 points, which is well below their combined season average of 48. The Saints were lead on the defensive end by Williams, Darnelle Peddie (Pickering, Ont.) and Tim Steward (Detroit, Mich.) who drew the assignment of slowing down the All-Star duo from the visiting Condors and they were up to the task.
The Saints had four players in double figures and were led by Harmon who tallied 25 points and seven rebounds. Vincent-Simon notched a double-double with 21 points and 13 boards. Shak Pryce (Pickering, Ont.) was one assist shy of a triple-double with an impressive 18 point, 11 rebound and nine assist line. Williams also netted 18 points for the top-seeded Saints.
Conestoga also had four players in double figures. The OCAA Player of the Year and All-Canadian Ujullu-Obang finished with 20 points, four rebounds and five assists in a losing cause. Pingle scored 19 points, Lloyd totalled 14 points and Frank Gyamfi (Toronto, Ont.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12.
Pingle was named Player of the Game for Conestoga. Harmon was named Player of the Game for the St. Clair Saints.
Source: St. Clair Saints
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/mbb
Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/ocaalive
Friday, March 3
Quarter-Finals
Game #1: Mohawk def. Humber 93-81
Game #2: George Brown def. Niagara 74-61
Game #3: Lambton def. Sheridan 105-69
Game #4: St. Clair def. Conestoga 97-85
Saturday, March 4
Semi-Finals
Game #5: Mohawk vs. George Brown - 4pm
Game #6: Lambton vs. St. Clair - 6:30pm
Sunday, March 5
Bronze Medal Game
Loser Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 - 1pm
Winning team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of game
Gold Medal Game
Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6 - 3:30pm
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at conclusion of game
- OCAA -
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