Men's Basketball fails to close out late; falls to Conestoga

By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - Humber men's basketball (5th West, 6-4) dropped their first outing of 2023 after giving up a late lead to the Conestoga Condors (2^nd West, 7-3). The Hawks had a confident lead late in the game, but the Condors exploded back to win 94-89. As a team, Humber shot 34-of-81 (42 per cent) from the floor, but struggled from deep, only hitting nine-off-33 from beyond the arc. 

The Hawks had four players finish in double-digits, including Romeo Osas Joshua, who finished with a team-high 17 points. Jamani Barrett added 16 points, while Kyle Brown-Fazekas and Jayar Harewood finished with 15 and 12, respectively.

Humber's defence was no match for the highest-scoring duo in the country, Ladera Ujullu-Obang and Terell Lloyd, combined to score 60 points for the Condors. 

Match Recap

Both teams understood that their first game of 2023 would have a massive influence on the west division standings. The Hawks and Condors had an identical 6-3 record coming into their matchup and knew that a win would cushion their position in a four-team battle for second place. 

Humber was ready to tip off 2023 as the Hawks' Nest was already explosive after witnessing an impressive women's team victory. After the Hawks took an early three-point lead, Conestoga silenced the crowd as they led by as many as seven points toward the end of the quarter. Humber managed to cut the lead to four and put themselves in a good position to start the second quarter strong. 

After a highlight-worthy block from Condors' Ladera Ujullu-Obang, momentum seemed entirely on Conestoga's side. The Hawks cut the lead to two after a deep three from Romeo Osas Joshua; however, the Condors drilled four buckets from beyond the arc by the midway point of the second quarter. Humber trailed by as many as nine after their opponent's three-point clinic. The back-and-forth quarter continued as Humber's outstanding defence led to excellence in the offensive end. The Hawks went on a 15-4 run that saw them take their first lead since early in the opening frame. Jayar Harewood drained a buzzer-beating put-back shot sending Humber to halftime with a 50-46 lead. 

The Hawks went 20-of-42 (47.6 per cent) shooting from the floor and six-of-16 (37.5 per cent) from three-point territory. Although Humber shot a sluggish 50 per cent from the free throw line in the first half, the defending national champions outscored their opponents 25-7 in points off the bench and 17-7 in second-chance points. 

Humber kicked off the second half with five quick points from Jayar Harewood which included a laser from deep. This sparked the rest of the Hawks as they hurdled ahead to a double-digit lead backed by roars from the stands at North Campus Gym. The third-quarter Hawks seemed like a completely different team from the first quarter; however, Humber's shooting went cold to end the quarter, and Conestoga crept their way back to within five points to start the final frame. 

The fourth quarter began with the teams trading points. Neither side could seem to gain control of the final frame until Humber's offensive magic sent the crowd to their feet as Kyle Brown-Fazekas ended a swift pass with a monster two-handed dunk. Conestoga wrestled their way back from a seven-point deficit and took a three-point lead. Humber surrendered sloppy turnovers and couldn't drain a bucket. The Hawks didn't have enough in the gas tank and fell 94-89 against the Condors. 

Romeo Osas Joshua led Humber with 17 points, while four other Hawks also recorded double-digit point totals. Rahsaan Chambers tallied a team-high 12 rebounds, and Dwayne Lambert-Cadore's seven assists were the most by a Hawk. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber's all-time record against Conestoga is now 34-5.
• Head coach Omar Miles sits only three victories away from the 25-win plateau.
• After leading the team in points, Romeo Osas Joshua has climbed to second place on the Hawks leaderboard, averaging 14.9 points per game. 

What's Next?

Humber men's basketball will look to get in the win column on Jan. 18 when they will be in Hamilton to take on No. 5 Mohawk Mountaineers. The Hawks will return to North Campus Gym for a battle with the Fanshawe Falcons on Jan. 21. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.