TORONTO - There was a role reversal of sorts at the 2012 Ontario
Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Basketball All-Star Games
played last Saturday at Centennial College in Scarborough, Ont.
After East region teams swept the podium at the recent OCAA
championship, it was the West that bested East 73-69 in the women's
all-star game.
Team West never trailed in the contest, jumping out to a 16-11
lead after one quarter, then building a 32-20 advantage at
halftime. After trailing 51-42 after three quarters, Team East had
a spirited comeback in the fourth quarter, tying the score at 65-65
before Team West went on a 6-0 run to put the game away.
Algoma's Corina Bruni (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.)
was named player of the game, leading all players with 17 points.
West teammate Nakia Arthur (Brampton, Ont.) of
Sheridan contributed 15 points in the win, including 11 in the
second half, while Mohawk's Rachelle Abella
(Hamilton, Ont.) added 14, including 10 in the final 20
minutes.
Tamara Nembhard (Toronto) of Seneca led all Team
East players with 15 points, including 11 in the second half.
Algonquin teammates Abeer Farhat and
Sandre Bascoe, both from Ottawa, added 13 and 10
points, respectively, in a losing effort.
It was a similar theme in the men's all-star game. Although the
West region earned a medal sweep at the recent provincial
championship, including the OCAA champion Mohawk Mountaineers who
went on to win a national title, it was Team East that prevailed
114-110.
Unlike the women's game, there were a number of lead changes in
the contest, as both teams were tied 25-25 after one quarter, then
54-54 at halftime. Team East made its move in the third quarter,
jumping ahead 88-78 before Team West rallied to tie the score at
108-108 in the late stages of regulation. But Team East ultimately
pulled ahead for good.
Algonquin's Romaine Lawrence (Toronto) scored a
game-high 30 points to earn player of the game honours,
contributing a consistent 15 points in each half. A trio of Team
East teammates scored 10 points each, including Max
Clarkson (Peterborough, Ont.) of Fleming-Peterborough,
Nana Ntim (Bradford, Ont.) of George Brown, and
Terence Thomas (Ottawa) of St.
Lawrence-Kingston.
Denmark McDonald (Mississauga, Ont.) of Sheridan
led all Team West players with 26 points. Humber's Mark
Perrin (Toronto) added 18 points in a losing effort.
Not surprisingly, the three-point leaders during the regular
season were the winners of the three-point shootout, held in
conjunction with the all-star games. Kelly
Killoran (Sarnia, Ont.) of Fleming-Peterborough edged
Alicia Del Fuoco (Whitby, Ont.) of Durham in the
women's three-point competition, while St. Clair's Amanda
McCarthy (Windsor, Ont.) placed third.
In the men's three-point challenge, Sheridan's Khalid
Abdel-Gabar (Mississauga, Ont.) beat out OCAA and national
player of the year Jovain Wilson (Pickering, Ont.)
of Algoma. Lambton's Matt Koopman (Embro, Ont.)
finished in third.
In the co-ed skills competition, Team West edged Team East
3-2.
The 25th annual OCAA Basketball All-Star Games brought together
the elite collegiate basketball players from across the province
for a day of camaraderie and competition. Seventy-five
student-athletes represented 20 Ontario colleges and universities
at this year's event.
- OCAA -
ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized
leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to
student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 31 members
sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.
For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com