WORLDS COLLIDE

It will finally happen. Two teams with a combined 32 wins will meet on Friday night to determine the OCAA women's basketball west regional champion.

When last they met, Humber defeated Mohawk 82-77 in the regular season opener for both teams. Since that time, Mohawk has won 16 in a row, while Humber has won 15 of its last 16 games, its only loss a 67-63 decision at St. Clair back on Nov. 8. The Hawks have won a dozen straight.

Mohawk features a pair of players, second-year guards Stef Hrymak (Hamilton, Ont.) and Jen Jen Abella (Hamilton, Ont.), averaging 15 points per game. Humber fourth-year power forward Llyandra Kerr (Scarborough, Ont.) is averaging a double-double this season at 11.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

The winner on Friday night wins the west regional crown outright. In the end, both teams have already done enough to secure a berth into the OCAA championship, held at Centennial College from March 5-7. These teams may just be destined to play each other again with the OCAA championship on the line.

PARALLEL TRACKS

Two teams with a combined 28 wins won't meet this week to determine the OCAA east regional championship. But one will be crowned by sunset on Saturday.

Algonquin and St. Lawrence-Kingston, both tied on top of the east standings at 14-1, have already completed the season series between these clubs. The Vikings currently hold the tiebreaker, meaning a St. Lawrence win on Saturday at home over Centennial gives it the east regional crown, and a bye into the OCAA championship.

Algonquin's only chance at the top seed is for a St. Lawrence loss. Otherwise, the Thunder is destined to start the post-season on home court in the OCAA qualifying round.

The Thunder are well experienced in the post-season, having won a record four straight OCAA titles.

THIRD IS THE WORD

With the top spots in the west locked up, the next two teams earn home playoff games in the qualifying round.

Third place is up for grabs on Sunday when St. Clair (11-6) hosts Fanshawe (12-5). The winner of this game is awarded the No. 3 seed out of the west, with the loser dropping to the fourth seed. Both teams will host playoff qualifiers, no matter what happens.

The bottom two seeds from the west will face each other on Friday, with the winner clinching fifth place. Sheridan (9-8) trails Niagara (10-7) by one game, but can sweep the season series with a win, earning the Bruins the tiebreaker.

Niagara could still tie St. Clair for fourth place in the standings, but St. Clair holds the tiebreaker in this scenario.

GO FOURTH

A potential log jam for fourth place could take place in the east region, with the prize a home playoff game in the qualifying round.

Durham and Seneca are currently tied for fourth at 8-7, with Loyalist (7-8) one game back. Loyalist hosts Durham in a key game on Friday night, and could pull even with the Lords with a victory. If this happens, and Seneca loses to Algonquin, a three-way tie would occur, with the tiebreaker between these teams going to Loyalist.

In the event that Durham and Seneca both win on Friday, the tiebreaker goes to the latter. Both teams split their season series, but Seneca ultimately wins the tiebreaker based on a lower points against in the games between the teams.

RECENT RESULTS

UPCOMING GAMES

Source: OCAA Communications