REXDALE, Ont. - The Sheridan Bruins men's basketball team (20-5, 11-2 OCAA) rallied from a 17-point second half deficit - capped by a John Avery off-balance three at the horn to tie it - but fell 100-98 in overtime to their rivals from Humber in the 119th edition of The Game.
"We really were not good for large stretches tonight and then finally came alive in the fourth quarter," head coach Jim Flack said. "The consistency and effort that we bring from this point forward is going to determine how this season turns out for us. If we play the way we did for the first three quarters, we could have a very sudden, a very bitter, and a very early end to our season. If we play with the intensity and urgency that we showed throughout most of the fourth quarter and overtime, we can be right in the mix."
Humber was in control through much of the early stages, as the Bruins connected on just 25.5 per cent (11-43) of their attempts from the floor, trailing 50-36 at the half.
With a little under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the home side held their largest advantage of the night, leading 62-45.
The Double Blue weren't able to trim much of their deficit by the end of the frame and went into the fourth quarter down 12 (67-55).
In the final period, Sheridan forced 11 Humber turnovers and first pulled level at 74-74 with 1:53 remaining, when Tre Anderson coralled an offensive rebound and laid it off the window.
Humber pulled back in front and made it a three-point game with 0.9 second remaining, when Kenny Ejim hit one of his two free throw attempts.
Nick Campbell inbounded to John Avery, who quickly got a three-pointer off, knotting the game at 82 and forcing the extra session.
Humber won the overtime 18-16, doing much of their damage at the free throw line.
Campbell had a team-high 21 points, while John Avery (20), Terrell Carr (13), Jemol Edwards (10), and Jayvon Grant-Lake (10) were all in double figures.
The Bruins don't have much time to re-group, hosting a Lambton squad that won at Humber - also in overtime - a week prior.
This is why you never leave a @sheridancollege/@HumberHawks game early. Best rivalry in ����@TheOCAA @CCAAsportsACSC pic.twitter.com/up7XMoKjRo
— Sheridan Bruins (@sheridanbruins) January 26, 2018