Men's Basketball fails to close out late; falls to Mohawk in home opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mohawk (3-0, 3-0) | 23 | 20 | 13 | 27 | 83 |
|
Humber (1-2, 1-2) | 23 | 21 | 23 | 13 | 80 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – No. 6 Humber men's basketball (1-2, 7th West) fell to the Mohawk Mountaineers (3-0, 1st West) Wednesday evening in the 2022 home opener, 83-80. The entertaining game saw two evenly paired sides clash in an extremely close matchup. Humber took a commanding lead in the third, but once again displayed its youth and inexperience, allowing the Mountaineers to escape with the win.
Mississauga native Raheem Dennis was lights-out for the Hawks, posting a double-double with a stat line of 17 points and 12 rebounds. The third-year forward finished three-for-six from downtown and 50.0 per cent from the field. Dwayne Lambert-Cadore finished with 16 points, while freshman Jayar Harewood added 15 points, as well. Kyle Brown-Fazekas led Humber in assists in Wednesday night's showdown as he recorded a team-high four dimes.
Game Recap
As the game tipped off, the defending national champions knew they would be in store for a challenge in their home opener against Mohawk. The undefeated Mountaineers started the young season red-hot by posting a division-best 113.0 points per game and an OCAA-best 52.7 shooting percentage from the floor.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth clash, with Mohawk jumping out to a quick lead. Humber responded with an 8-0 at the 6:42 mark to take it first lead of the game. Both squads pushed the pace on offensive transitions, as there was no shortage of scoring in the tightly contested quarter. The first frame ended where it began, with the score tied. Each side scored 23 points, with Romeo Osas Joshua leading the way for the Hawks with six points in the quarter.
The Mountaineers jumped ahead to an early second quarter lead as Humber could not capitalize on their offensive possessions. In a three-minute span, Mohawk went on a 7-3 run and gained the game's biggest lead for either side. The two-possession lead was cut in half with an electric alley-oop by Humber freshman Jayar Harewood that gave the Hawks momentum. The Hawks would take a four-point lead of their own after the mid-point of the quarter; however, Mohawk's strong three-point shooting performance kept them right with the Hawks. With time running out, two quick buckets and a steal from Brett Pearce gave Humber a one-point lead the break, 44-43.
Although the Hawks took a one-point lead into the halftime break, the Mountaineers posted a statistically better half shooting the rock. Both teams were evenly matched up shooting from the floor, but Mohawk's three-point shooting was on-point, going seven-for-17 (41.2 per cent) from deep. Meanwhile, Humber shot four-of-15 (26.7 per cent) from beyond the arc. Mohawk also shot more efficiently from the free-throw line; however, the Hawks outrebounded and had fewer turnovers than their opponents.
The Hawks came out aggressively from the halftime break and turned their three-point game on. A 13-3 run put Humber up by 11 points; however, a timeout from Mohawk's coach gave the Mountaineers some confidence to chip into the Hawks' lead. Humber's lead shrunk to seven points at the quarter's halfway mark. Humber re-established their double-digit lead with the help of Raheem Dennis, who had nine points in the quarter and a double-double with 11 rebounds as he subbed off to the rest for the remainder of the frame. The third ended with the Hawks up 67-56, outsocring Mohawk 23-13 in the quarter.
Mohawk cut the lead to a two-possession game as a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter brought them to within four points. The Hawks began to rush offensive possessions and break down on defence as the Mountaineers' pressure increased. The Hawks' three turnovers in the first half of the quarter allowed Mohawk to jump ahead to their first lead since the second quarter. The game remained neck-and-neck as both teams traded leads with offensive possession; however, the Hawks couldn't get ahead of the Mountaineers as the time on the game clock expired and Humber was handed their second loss of the 2022 campaign.
Humber Highlights
- Raheem Dennis recorded his third career double-double.
- The Hawks' all-time record against Mohawk now stands at 54-20 in regular season play.
- The last time the Hawks lost a home opener, they went on to win the division title.
- Through three games, Jayar Harewood is averaging a team-best 14.3 PPG.
What's Next?
The defending national champions will head on the road for a two-game trip, beginning with the Fanshawe Falcons (1-1, 4th West) on Nov. 5. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
