OSHAWA, Ont. - What would March Madness in the OCAA be without a little bit of quarter-final drama to kick things off?
After trailing for nearly the entire game, the Humber Hawks stormed back in the second half, then barely hung on for a thrilling 83-82 overtime win over the Lambton Lions in the opening game of the belairdirect OCAA men's basketball championship at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
Humber advances to the semifinal tomorrow against the winner of Georgian Grizzlies and Fanshawe Falcons at 6 p.m., while Lambton faces the loser in the consolation bracket at 1 p.m.
The Lions had a 19-point lead at one point in the game, but Humber found a way to come back, eventually tying the game 74-74 on a basket by Tyrone Dickson (Scarborough, Ont.), as Lambton thought time had expired before Dickson got his shot off.
The Lions celebration was short-lived, and they had to refocus quickly. Lambton led 81-80 late in the extra session, but Hawks point guard Gibson Eduful (Brampton, Ont.) hit what proved to be the game-winning three-pointer with 48.7 seconds remaining.
Lambton had a shot to tie and force double overtime with 3.7 seconds to go, but Lions guard Trey Langford (London, Ont.) couldn't convert on his second free throw attempt, resulting in a heartbreaking loss for Lambton after controlling the vast majority of the game.
Eduful finished with 14 points, including five in overtime while Dickson, who was named the OCAA west's defensive player of the year and an OCAA west first-team all-star, was a force throughout the game for the Hawks, posting 18 points to go along with 15 rebounds to earn player of the game honours.
Junior Davis (Scarborough, Ont.) provided a spark off the bench for Humber, finishing with 16 points and four rebounds.
Brandon Padgett (China Township, Mich.) led the Lions with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Mike Lucier (Forest, Ont.) added 20 points and nine rebounds. Shawn Hill (Brantford, Ont.) also had a strong game for the boys from Sarnia, as he contributed 19 points and seven boards.
The Lions roared out of the gate early, locking down defensively to keep Humber, the OCAA west champions, off the scoreboard for a 4:29 stretch to build a 17-6 lead, eventually closing the quarter up 25-12. The Lions were also very efficient from the field, shooting 71.4 per cent in the opening frame.
Lambton's strong play continued in the second quarter, as they went on a 9-0 run early to open up a 34-15 lead, Humber's biggest deficit of the season. After a bit of tight play from both sides, the Hawks turned it up late in the quarter, going on an 8-2 run in a 1:32 span to trim the Lions lead to 43-30 at halftime.
Humber's depth brought them back into the game, as 15 of its 18 points in the second frame came from the bench.
The third quarter started off evenly, but Lambton once again pulled away, using a 13-4 run to go up 57-41 with 2:49 left in the frame. The Hawks closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, setting the stage for a wild fourth quarter.
It looked like Padgett was set to take over the game for the Lions, as he scored 10 points in the frame. However, Davis and Dickson brought the Hawks back, combining for 13 of Humber's 27 points in the quarter.
Source: Durham College