OSHAWA, Ont. - While their semifinal game at the belairdirect OCAA Men's Basketball Championship lacked the excitement of their opener, the Humber Hawks likely aren't complaining.
Humber took control of the game early, and they never backed down en route to an 80-62 win over the Fanshawe Falcons at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
The Hawks will play for the gold medal at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, looking for their first gold since 2011 and playing in their first OCAA final since 2012. A win in the second semifinal by the Mohawk Mountaineers, who defeated Humber in the 2012 gold medal game, would guarantee the Hawks the second OCAA berth at the CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship in Hamilton, Ont., in two weeks.
Ancil Martin (Scarborough, Ont.) paced Humber with 18 points and three rebounds, while OCAA west defensive player of the year Tyrone Dickson (Scarborough, Ont.) added six points and 12 rebounds.
Humber received strong bench contributions from Chad Bewley (Newmarket, Ont.), who put up 11 points and five rebounds, as well as Junior Davis (Scarborough, Ont.), who scored 14 points and five rebounds to earn player of the game honours for the Hawks.
Chris Stanhope (Markham, Ont.) led Fanshawe with 22 points, but he was the only Falcon to score in double figures as Humber did well to contain OCAA west second-team all-star Kyle McConnell (London, Ont.) and Adam Jespersen (London, Ont.), as they combined for just 14 points.
Any memories of Fanshawe handing Humber its only loss of the season back in November quickly faded as the Hawks asserted their dominance from the beginning.
Humber used three three-pointers in the opening four minutes to set the tone for its offence, but the Falcons hung around to keep pace. However, Fanshawe got themselves into some foul trouble, as both Jespersen and OCAA all-rookie team member Moses Orozco-Rayo (London, Ont.) picked up two fouls and missed time.
The Hawks took full advantage, as they held a 24-18 lead after the first quarter with the help of eight free throws and a last-second jumper from RJ Ramirez (St. Catharines, Ont.).
Humber then locked down on the Falcons defensively in the second quarter, limiting Fanshawe to just four points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field. Fanshawe going cold, combined with a 10-2 Humber run, resulted in the Hawks taking a 36-22 into the dressing room at halftime.
The Falcons also didn't have an easy time hanging onto the ball in the opening 20 minutes, committing 16 turnovers to Humber's 10.
Humber's stifling defensive play continued into the third quarter, as they limited Fanshawe to 12 points in the frame and keeping Jespersen, Stanhope, and the rest of the Falcons in check. The Hawks also enjoyed an 11-2 run over a 3:50 span to effectively bury Fanshawe as they carried a 64-37 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Falcons picked it up offensively in the final frame, but it was too little, too late. The Hawks never really let them back into the game, as their lead rarely went below 20 points. Humber also did an excellent job of discouraging Fanshawe from perimeter shots, as the Falcons went 26:13 without converting a three-point attempt before a Stanhope triple early in the fourth.
Source: Durham College