Strong second-half helps Men's Basketball capture third straight victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Redeemer (2-6, 2-6) | 14 | 25 | 16 | 15 | 70 |
|
Humber (5-3, 5-3) | 27 | 19 | 19 | 32 | 97 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – Humber men's basketball (5-3, 6th West) captured its third consecutive victory after defeating the Redeemer Royals (2-6, 8th West) Saturday evening at the North Campus Gym, 97-70. The game was up for grabs until the fourth quarter featured an offensive masterpiece from the Hawks, who drained 32 points in the final frame.
Rexdale native Dwayne Lambert-Cadore led the Hawks with 21 points and eight assists, while Kyle Brown-Fazekas added 18 points of his own. Romeo Osas Joshua recorded a double-double, finishing with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, while rookie Jayar Harewood rounded out Humber's double-digit scorers with 16 of his own.
Match Recap
With the Hawks coming off back-to-back victories, they were looking to continue their win streak against the Redeemer Royals. As the game tipped off, the energy at the Hawks' Nest was electric as the crowd just witnessed the Humber women's team win their seventh game in a row. The men's team was ready to add to their excitement by showcasing more homegrown Humber talent.
The first quarter began with the Hawks hitting a three to jump out to an early lead. Humber never looked back and went on a 15-2 run. Jayar Harewood's seven points were a major factor as he led the Hawks' squad at the midway mark of the first. The Royals could get nothing going on the offensive end as they failed to make any threes and shot just 30 per cent from the floor. Kyle Brown-Fazekas drained a buzzer-beater floater over the heads of the Royals' defenders to put Humber ahead 27-14 after the first quarter.
The Hawks were looking to pick up where they left off as the second quarter began; however, a quick Redeemer bucket and two fouls on Humber put trepidation in the air. Nevertheless, Raheem Dennis converted an and-one opportunity to regain momentum in the Hawks' favour. A 10-5 run put the Hawks up by 16 with six minutes left in the half. After costly turnovers from the Hawks sent the Royals to the offensive end, they cut Humber's lead to seven as the quarter was closing. Fortunately for the Hawks, the Royals lost steam, and they could not extend their lead any further as Humber took a 46-39 lead to half-time.
Statistically, the Hawks were the better team shooting the ball as they drained 17-of-34 (50 per cent) shots from the floor. Meanwhile, Redeemer shot under 40 per cent. Humber also nailed four threes in the half, while the Royals made none; however, the Hawks' 14 turnovers cost them 22 points. Head coach Omar Miles and his team knew they had to work on protecting the rock if they wanted to stay in the win column.
The Hawks were looking to flip the script and regain their dominant lead in the second half. Dwayne Lambert-Cadore kicked things off for the Hawks in the third quarter as he drained a shot from three-point territory to put the Hawks up by double-digits once again. The Hawks hurdled ahead to a 13-point lead after a 10-4 run at the midway point of the quarter. Although the Royals began to make a late push, the Hawks' all-around team effort kept them ahead by ten points with one quarter remaining.
Humber began the final frame on a 16-4 run and took a 22-point lead with five minutes left in the game. With the court tilting in the home team's favour, everything started going right for the Hawks as the game was nearing its end. When Humber's Romeo Osas Joshua sunk a basket late in the fourth to extend his team's lead and give him 11 on the night, he recorded a double-double to put a cherry on top of the Hawks' explosive quarter. After having trouble closing out games to begin the season, Humber scored a season-high 32 points in the fourth quarter and extended its winning streak to three as the buzzer sounded to conclude the Hawks' final home game of 2022.
Humber Highlights
- Romeo Osas Joshua recorded his first career double-double.
- Kyle Brown-Fazekas set a new career-high with 18 points against the Royals.
- The Hawks scored a season-high 97 points in their win against Redeemer.
- Humber improves their record to 3-1 at North Campus Gym this season.
- The Hawks' all-time record against the Redeemer Royals now stands at 25-4.
What's Next?
Humber will travel to Welland to conclude the first half of the OCAA regular-season on Dec. 1 against the Niagara Knights (5-3, 4th West). Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
