CCAA Gold Medal Game: Humber Hawks 101, St. Clair Saints 94
The Humber Hawks are the 2022 CCAA Men's Basketball National Champions after defeating provincial rivals St. Clair Saints in front of a sold-out North Campus crowd.
Humber had a strong opening quarter, using a 14-0 run in the first to build a double-digit lead after one. The Hawks shot an impressive 10-of-18 (55.6 per cent) in the frame on the way to 26 points. DeQuon Cascart and Dwayne Lambert-Cadore led the way for Humber combining for 16 points.
CCAA All-Canadians David Gomez Jr. of St. Clair and DeQuon Cascart of Humber went back-and-forth throughout the first half, both leading their teams in scoring after two. Gomez Jr. put up 14 points in the first half while Cascart had a game-high 17 points through 20 minutes.
Gomez Jr. continued to lead the way for the Saints out the half, putting up 13 points in the third helping his team chip away at the deficit. St. Clair outscored the Hawks in the quarter putting up 27 points but still trailed heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Saints battled back, making it a two-possession game with just one minute left to go. That would prove to be as St. Clair would get as Humber closed it out down the stretch to win the championship.
Cascart was named player of the game and Championship MVP. Cascart finished with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. Gomez Jr. was annnounced a championship all-star and was named player of the game for St. Clair. Gomez Jr. put up a game-high 37 points, five rebounds and four assists.
CCAA Semi-Final: Humber Hawks 81, SAIT Trojans 79 (OT)
The last game of the day featured the host Humber Hawks and SAIT Trojans. The Hawks came out on top advancing to play in the CCAA National Championship Game on homecourt.
It was a back-and-forth opening half in front of a raucous North Campus crowd. Both teams matched the intensity on the defensive end in the first half, forcing each other into tough looks all half. DeQuon Cascart helped spark his side, picking up two charge calls late in the half and capping it off by converting a layup on the break giving Humber a three-point lead at the break.
After falling behind in the third Humber came out strong to open the fourth, quickly tying things up. Humber led by just one point with less than 24 seconds to play and the ball to inbound, the Trojans forced the turnover and converted the and-one play to take a two-point lead. With one final look Kevin Otoo answered for Humber making the last basket to send the game into overtime.
The Hawks struck first in the overtime, with Dwayne Lambert-Cadore knocking down a three to give his team the lead. With the game tied late in the overtime period, Cascart drilled a jumped to give Humber a two-point lead with under 24 seconds to go. Frank Mitchell blocked SAIT's first three-point attempt, now with just 2.2 left to go. The Trojans next attempt came up short at Humber came out on top in an instant classic.
Player of the game for the Hawks was Otoo with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while the honours went to Marcus Masters for SAIT, with 26 points and five rebounds.
CCAA Semi-Final: St. Clair Saints 109, VIU Mariners 90
The first semifinal of the day saw the St. Clair Saints capture the win against the VIU Mariners, advancing to the CCAA National Championship Game.
Both squads came out firing, the score going back and forth ending the quarter in a 25-25 draw. St. Clair dominating the glass with 11 of those points coming off second-chance baskets. VIU's 55 per cent field goal percentage keeping them in the competition.
The second quarter maintained the high energy in the tightly contested match hitting halftime with a 48-46 score for the OCAA's silver medalists St. Clair Saints, with VIU's Cameron Gay keeping his team in striking distance leading his team in scoring with 14 at half while shooting 4-of-4 from distance.
The scrappy Saints came out of the break ready for action, led by their All-Canadian David Gomez Jr. by way of his 20 points through the first three quarters extending St. Clair's lead to 11.
The fourth quarter would see that lead extended into the twenties and maintained as such with the assistance of 25 points off turnovers and 50 per cent from the field.
The player of the game from VIU, Richard Henderson finished with a big double-double with 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Similarly recognized from St. Clair, Jalen Harmon went on to also finish north of 10 in points and rebounds with 24 and 13 respectively.
CCAA Quarter-Final: Humber Hawks 88, Capilano Blues 78
CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship host Humber Hawks started the tournament with an 88-78 win against the Capilano Blues.
Humber came out the gates hot, going on a 16-0 run to start the game capturing the early momentum.
The second quarter was tightly contested as the Blues looked to get back into the game. Humber outscored Capilano by just one in the quarter taking a 17-point lead into the half.
Capilano opened the third quarter strong, going on an 8-0 run to get withing 10 points for the first time since the first quarter. Both sides traded baskets down the stretch of the third with Humber ended the quarter now up 12 points.
The Blues again chipped away at the Hawks lead getting within two possessions halfway through the fourth. Humber answered back almost immediately, pushing their lead back up to 16 points. That final push would be too much for Capilano to overcome, as Humber took the CCAA quarter-final by a score of, 88-78.
Frank Mitchell recorded a double-double on 18 points and 24 rebounds and was named player of the game for Humber. Sam Bailey was named player of the game for Capilano finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
CCAA Quarter-Final: St. Clair Saints 93, Dawson Blues 92
The St. Clair Saints captured game two of the CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship, completing a dramatic comeback to book their spot in the semi-finals.
Dawson came out of the gate hot, putting up 29 points in the opening quarter, taking a 13-point lead after one.
St. Clair trailed by as much as 20 points early in the third quarter. The Saints put together a late run to end the third, bringing the Blues lead down to just eight points.
The momentum carried over into the fourth for St.Clair, as they went on a 10-0 run to capture their first lead of the game. The two teams went back and forth down the stretch trading baskets until the final moments.
Down by one with just 4.2 seconds left St. Clair inbounded the ball and got a shot up, Jalen Harmons' attempt would come up short but an acrobatic putback by Chad Vincent-Simon found the net giving St. Clair the lead and ultimately the game.
Jesiah Deerr was named player of the game for the Saints finishing with19 points and five rebounds, while Renoldo Robinson was named player of the game for Dawson as he recorded a double-double on 28 points and 16 rebounds.
Source: Humber Hawks/CCAA Communications