By: Severn Zieman
Mohawk Mountaineers men's basketball pulled off a fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Humber Hawks on their home court, 83-80.
The Mountaineers had started the season with a 50-point win and earned the 14th spot in the CCAA National Rankings, but were removed from the nation's top-15 this past week despite remaining undefeated through two games prior to the match versus the Hawks.
The first half was tightly contested with neither team being able to pull away. Humber would eventually end the half with a one-point lead.
Mohawk started the second half slow, scoring only 13-points in the third-quarter which allowed the Hawks to break things open with an 11-point lead.
The Mountaineers were able to flip the game around in the final 10 minutes with a 27-point fourth quarter to finish on top.
Head coach Brian Jonker was proud of the toughness the team showed.
"I'm real proud of our resilience, we got down 11 and could have folded but didn't," said Jonker.
Mohawk didn't shoot the ball particularly well, shooting 37 per cent from the field and 29.7 per cent from three, however they showed toughness and grit and found a way to win.
Stefan Anisko (Haldimand County, ON) continued his hot start to the season, scoring 11 of his team-leading 14 points in the fourth quarter. Jerry Mercury Jr. (Scarborough, ON) shined with an 11 point, 17 rebound double-double, and Daniel Graham (Hamilton, ON) also stood out with 12 points and six assists.
The Mountaineers also received strong performances from their two big men Mackenzie Hart (Hamilton, ON) and Milos Mladjan (Hamilton, ON) as the two scored 10 and 11 each, respectively.
Jonker believes that the team's depth will be a major advantage for this season.
"We are going to run into lots of different situations where others will have to step up and it's nice to know we can have confidence in so many (of our) players," said Jonker.
Mohawk is back at home next for Super Saturday on Nov. 5 when all four Mountaineer indoor sports teams host the Redeemer Royals. Women's basketball will kick-off the four-game action at 1 p.m. with men's basketball tipping off at 3 p.m., and then women's and men's volleyball will take to the court at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively.
For all your Mohawk Mountaineers updates make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
