ETOBICOKE, Ont. - After two spectacular games on Saturday afternoon at the Humber Athletic Centre, the Humber Hawks and the Durham Lords secured their spots in the men's basketball final of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA). The two teams will compete for the gold medal this Sunday at 3:30 p.m., once again at the Hawks' nest, the host of this year's championship.
In the opening game at 1 p.m., the Georgian Grizzlies will face the St. Clair Saints in the battle for the bronze medal.
Match Recaps
No. 1 Humber Hawks vs No. 9 Georgian Grizzlies
Pushed by their home crowd, which filled the Humber Athletic Centre on Saturday afternoon, the Humber Hawks set a strong pace from the start. With a well-structured defence and a balanced offence, coach Omar Miles' team quickly built a 10-2 lead, forcing the Grizzlies to call a timeout before the halfway point of the first quarter. Well-marked, Georgian's two main players, OCAA First-Team All-Star Trey Wilson and French guard Sean Marseille, struggled to find space. On the other side, the Hawks shared the offensive responsibility, scoring with seven different players. With better efficiency, the home team extended their lead and finished the first quarter ahead 24-17.
In the second quarter, the Hawks maintained their intensity and attacked the Grizzlies. With a strong offensive performance from OCAA Player of the Year Malik Grant, guard Romeo Osas Joshua, and freshman Dwayne Burke, Humber quickly extended their lead. Stunned, the Grizzlies struggled to respond, scoring only sporadically, mainly through Uzziah Glasgow and Jomar Dela Rosa. Towards the end of the half, the visitors managed to cut the deficit slightly, but the game went into halftime with Humber leading 42-29.
After the break, the Grizzlies came back more focused and managed to balance the game. With Wilson more involved and Dela Rosa having an inspired night, the visitors reduced the gap to nine points (49-40). However, on the other side, the Hawks managed their offensive plays well, preventing coach Chad Bewley's team from finding a way back into the game. The highlight of the third quarter was Kwabena Antwi's outstanding performance, who electrified the North Campus crowd with two spectacular drives to the basket. The game entered the final quarter with Humber leading 61-46.
With few options left, the Grizzlies had to go all-out on offence to try to turn things around. Marseille started to make an impact, but by that point in the game, the home team's lead was too large for a comeback. With the clock in their favour, the Hawks simply controlled the tempo to secure an 83-63 victory. With this result, OCAA Coach of the Year Miles' squad will have the opportunity to defend last year's title. Humber will be aiming for their 16th OCAA championship in program history.
Players of the Game
Kwabena Antwi (Humber) - 15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Sean Marseille (Georgian) - 12 points, 6 rebounds
No. 4 St. Clair Saints vs No. 7 Durham Lords
In the second semifinal of the day, St. Clair Saints and Durham Lords delivered an electrifying game, decided only in the final quarter to determine who would face the Hawks in Sunday's final. In the first quarter, the Lords dominated the action, mainly due to the impeccable offensive play of CCAA All-Canadian Mark Stoop, who led the team inside the paint. On the other side, Kyle Brown-Fazekas was the most assertive player for the Saints, trying to keep up with the opposition. With a more solid and well-organized defence, the Oshawa team won the first quarter 29-22.
At the start of the second quarter, the Saints managed to balance the game a bit and improved their field goal efficiency. Even so, Durham maintained a strong pace, not allowing the Saints to get closer on the scoreboard. The highlight of the second quarter was an exceptional play by Rashane Smith, whose powerful dunk brought the crowd at the Humber Athletic Centre to its feet. After that, Durham continued to dominate and went into halftime with a 53-45 lead.
After the break, St. Clair came back determined to close the gap. Unlike the first two quarters, it was the Windsor team that took control of the game and attacked aggressively. Brown-Fazekas received important contributions from CCAA All-Canadian Mazin Tea and Jacob Masters on offence. With 2:30 remaining in the quarter, it was Masters who hit a beautiful three-point jumper to tie the game at 60-60. Both teams scored again before the buzzer, heading into the final quarter tied at 62-62.
The final moments of the game were thrilling. Both teams played like true championship contenders. On one side, Durham attacked with great intensity, especially through Stoop and Miles Hall. St. Clair, in turn, responded with high-quality plays, led by the trio of Brown-Fazekas, Masters, and Tea. Neither team managed to pull away. With 4:00 left, the scoreboard remained tied at 76-76.
That's when the All-Canadian Stoop shined the brightest. In the most decisive moment of the match, the forward drove inside for a dunk that shook the arena. With 56 seconds left, Stoop once again stepped up, grabbing a defensive rebound that gave his team control of the game. The Saints fought until the end, but the Lords prevailed. After another powerful dunk from Smith, Durham closed the game with an 85-80 victory, securing their ticket to the championship final.
Players of the Game
Mark Stoop (Durham) – 22 points, 9 rebounds
Kyle Brown-Fazekas (St. Clair) – 24 points, 10 rebounds
Source: Thiago Neuenschwander/Humber Hawks
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/mbb25
Live Webcast: ocaa.live
Saturday, March 1
Semi-Finals
S-F #1: Humber def. Georgian 83-63
S-F #2: Durham def. St. Clair 85-80
Sunday, March 2
Bronze Medal Match
Georgian vs. St. Clair - 1 p.m.
Winning team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of match
Gold Medal Match
Humber vs. Durham - 3:30 p.m.
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at conclusion of match
- OCAA -
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