CCAA Gold Medal Game: Keyano Huskies 68, George Brown Huskies 55
Keyano Huskies of Fort McMurray, Alta. will bring home their first Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's basketball title after a 68-55 victory over George Brown Huskies of Toronto Saturday night.
In a battle between the Huskies played before a big crowd in the McCormack Gymnasium at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., Keyano used a combination of inside scoring early and slick passing leading to second half points to claim the championship.
Guard D.J. Haynes led Keyano with 18 points, while big man Evan Meyer contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. Omeechi Williams had 12 points and 11 boards, while Championship MVP Keenan Miller contributed 11.
Jeremiah Brown and Jevon Fray-Woodbine each had 13 for George Brown.
Keyano shot only 2-of-19 from three-point range but won the battle of the boards by outrebounding George Brown 40-22, leading to a significant 36-14 edge in points in the paint.
George Brown came out hot from distance in the first quarter and took a 16-11 lead at the end of the first. With Keyano misfiring from the field, Coach Jeremy Wielenga changed tactics in the second.
Keyano found big man Evan Meyer deep in the paint and he found the basket on four consecutive shots, providing a shot of energy for his squad. George Brown scored at the 7:07 mark to take a four point lead, but that was the last basket they made for 6:30 as Keyano went on a 16-0 run.
The Keyano run was punctuated by a thunderous alley oop dunk from guard Tafari Carefoote-Jones to DJ Hayes with 1:30 to go in the half. Keyano went into the break up 34-24.
Haynes said after the final that his team stayed composed despite a couple of George Brown runs that closed the gap.
"They made some runs but you know they say when a pebble is thrown into the water, it creates some ripples but it eventually levels out. That's what we had to remember and the guys stuck to our game plan," Haynes explained.
Coach Wielenga said his team relied on defence to bring home the school's first national title.
"I can't comprehend what this will mean (to Keyano)," Wielenga said. "I remember what it meant to the community when we won the ACAC title so it's going to be really meaningful to everyone."
CCAA Bronze Medal Game: Humber Hawks 66, Camosun Chargers 58
Camosun fell short of a national medal as Humber never let off the gas pedal from their memorable third quarter onward in a 66-58 match in favour of the OCAA conference champs, seeing the Hawks depart from the McCormack Gymnasium with a bronze medal shining around their necks.
With Noah Helman, Camosun's Player of the Game last night, posted up early against offensive threat Malik Grant in the defensive zone, Lucas Sheets would be tasked with the split assignment of guarding big man Jamani Barrett.
And it was Camosun's Sheets who shone early, both with his all-star level play and attitude. After offering a hand to the fallen Barrett at 7:24 in the first, Sheets transitioned to hit a clutch three-pointer and tie the game at eight points a piece. He would finish the half going 2-of-3 from long distance and 4-of-5 in total with 10 points. The Chargers also saw significant contributions from Cameron Brown, providing clutch bench support - should there be a sixth man of the tournament, Brown may just be the frontrunner.
For the Hawks, Kameron David was soaring for a bronze, going 3-of-5 with six points. While Humber led after one quarter of play, Camosun's shooting has been too lethal thus far in the tournament for Jalen Menzies to remain silent with only two points. The Hawks' CCAA All-Canadian superstar must match Sheets' dominance early on. If he can convert, the Hawks may fly home with 16 extra ounces of hard wear around their necks.
A three-point make and an additional field goal by Menzies certainly show how a player of Menzies' calibre can answer the bell, but this quarter was all Chargers. The Humber lead was soon vanquished, thanks to Noah Helman. His six rebounds and eight points provided his charging men in blue with plenty of adrenaline. Notably, when challenging Barrett, four inches taller than Helman, the Charger is fearless in drawing charges and standing his ground.
At the half, it was Camosun in the lead, 33-30.
From a statistical standpoint, Camosun's three-point lead at halftime does not make much sense. Humber has committed fewer turnovers and produced more points from turnovers, offensive rebounds, steals, bench, and second-chance points. The Hawks were tied in paint points, blocks, field goals, and three-point makes. Sometimes, sports just do not make any sense. However, if the Hawks were to claw back at the Chargers, one may understand how feasible this task could be, given their statistical advantage over the Pacific West wildcard squad.
In the third quarter, Menzies started strong again with five quick points. Whatever it was that head coach Omar Miles kindly reminded his squad at the half, his guys exploded into the third, outscoring their opponents 54-42 with only 10 minutes remaining. The relentless style of play, by forcing Sheets into committing forced turnovers, will continue to be applied until the Chargers prove they can respond; they would need to make a statement and fast.
Time diminished simultaneously with Humber's lead, aided by their third quarter, where they outscored Camosun 24-9. With one minute remaining in the game, the Chargers pressed on and found themselves down by just five. No lead is safe.
In the end, Humber held on. Humber's 4imprint Player of the Game, David, said, "Of course we wanted gold, but we wanted to leave with something." And leave with something they did. The majority of varsity athletes do not even qualify for a national tournament, let alone finish in the top three.
David said he is "grateful" for what his group has accomplished together, and this will surely be a prominent memory when basketball is but a thing of the past. Sheets earned 4imprint Player of the Game honours for the fourth-placed Camosun Chargers.
CCAA Bronze Semi-Final: Humber Hawks 80, Vanier Cheetahs 61
The Humber Hawks won the turnover battle Friday afternoon, powering their way to a 80-61 victory over the Vanier Cheetahs to punch their ticket to the bronze medal game at the 2024 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national men's basketball tournament at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B.
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) champion Hawks turned 21 Vanier turnovers into 31 points. Many of those turnovers came on 15 steals, several coming from some fierce perimeter defence by Humber.
Diminutive Humber guard Jalen Menzies exploded for 27 points in the second half, on his way to a game-high 33. Menzies stole the ball on successive plays leading to fast-break points to blow open the game in the third quarter.
Menzies was helped by 6-foot-6 power forward Malik Grant, the 4Imprint Player of the Game, who had 15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Raphael Dumont had a big game for the Cheetahs, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RESQ) champions, with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Yanis Malanda added 11 points and 14 rebounds for Vanier. Dumont was the 4Imprint Player of the Game for Vanier.
Humber led by only one point at half as the teams traded baskets in what might have been the most fast-paced game of the championship to date.
Grant found a sweet spot at the top of the key against the Vanier defence in the second half, scoring repeatedly against the Vanier zone. "It just depends on what defence they are playing," Grant explained post-game. "They were playing a two-three zone and I was able to find the spot in the middle and make some hoops."
Humber will now play in the tournament's bronze medal game at 5 p.m. AT Saturday in the McCormack Gymnasium at Mount Allison.
Vanier doesn't go home to Montreal empty-handed. The CEGEP school received the official banner as hosts of the 2025 CCAA national men's championship.
CCAA Semi-Final: Keyano Huskies 63, Humber Hawks 56
Humber's dominant third quarter could not match the play of Evan Meyer, Keyano's big man, whose automatic physicality and play in the key was too much for the Ontario champs to handle, seeing the Pacific West wildcard team advance to the gold medal game in a 63-56 win.
The Humber Hawks, 2024 OCAA champions and fresh off a 104-57 quarter-final win over MSVU yesterday, set the tone early on in this affair. They established their dominant on-court presence by outscoring Keyano in points in the paint (10-6), points scored off turnovers (4-0), and, most significantly, bench points (7-5).
This match may come down to the role played by each team's role players, with 16 combined players seeing floor time in the first quarter alone. Depth is of the most significant importance at the highest level.
If depth defined the first quarter, fouls and free throws shone in the second. An early flagrant foul committed by the Hawks took away the momentum built early in the first quarter. With 11 and 10 points apiece from DJ Haynes and Evan Meyer, respectively, and seven rebounds from the latter, the Huskies pulled away to a 10-point margin at the half, leading 34-24.
When a team has three times the free throw opportunities as their opponent and makes nearly 70 per cent of their attempts, as is the case for the Huskies, the chances of playing for gold only heighten. Twenty long minutes remain, and as seen in yesterday's dramatic third match, leads vanish momentarily.
Finally, Humber's Jalen Menzies, 2024 All-Canadian, gives his Hawks some life. After four stagnant minutes in the third for Humber with nothing to show for their defensive efforts, having kept Keyano to just two points thus far, Menzies forced a turnover and finger-rolled it in on the fastbreak. Two minutes later, at the four-minute mark, Humber had closed the gap in this semi-final matchup, trailing just 36-34.
Despite his unmemorable 1-of-7 field goal shooting, Menzies showed why he is among Canada's best; even when he struggles to connect in the points column, his presence alone can bring the Hawks bench to their feet and shift the momentum of a game.
In a beautiful on-court interaction at 5:17 in the fourth quarter, Keenan Miller of the Huskies displayed true sportsmanship. After driving the basket and knocking over an opposing Humber defender in the process, Miller did not hesitate to check in on his fellow competitor's well-being, mouthing, "My fault, my fault." More often than not, sport brings out the kind-heartedness of those athletes who want nothing more than to win. Cheers to you, Miller.
Meyer, an Oshawa native and 4imprint Player of the Game, made his territory abundantly clear as Keyano's standout player. He finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, a double-double, to jolt his team to a finals appearance. Kwabena Antwi earned 4imprint Player of the Game honours for Humber.
After the devastating loss, Humber dropped to the bronze semifinal against the Vanier Cheetahs on Friday at 3 p.m. The Keyano Huskies will play in the gold medal match against the winner of Mount Allison and George Brown. Postgame, Meyer insisted upon how important it will be for his team not to "turn on each other and stay composed."
Then, as the Huskies hope, "everything will work out."
CCAA Semi-Final: George Brown Huskies 80, Mount Allison Mounties 76
From the media press box, with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter and a lot of basketball to play, a passerby might have heard the following utterance: "What if it happens…"
If it is possible for a gymnasium to reach beyond capacity, then the McCormack Gymnasium reached this point during Mount Allison's loss against the George Brown Huskies, 80-76 on Thursday night. The home crowd went berserk following each turnover, interception, rebound, shot clock violation, and targetless pass in favour of the Mounties. It was a night to remember.
In the first, the visiting Huskies started hot with three-pointers from Naseem Barry and Jacob Masters, but the garnet and gold would not take long to respond. Shooting 50 per cent of their field goals, 50 per cent from the free throw line, and 50 per cent from three-point range, the Mounties built upon the momentum provided by their supporters. Co-captain and proficient rebounder Tim Ellison took charge with eight points and two rebounds, but it may have been point guard Edmond Surur's clutch (and called ahead of time) three-pointer to put the dagger on their 19-13 first-quarter lead.
To the second, the Huskies demonstrated how effectively their 1-2-2 high-octane, fast-paced defensive system has the ability to shut down a team's run-and-gun offence. With 2:30 remaining in the half, Mount Allison had only scored six points. Twelve defensive rebounds and 12 forced turnovers will do that to a team. Nonetheless, a defensive swat by Mount A's Kaden Augustin, followed by a great defensive effort from Keith Rowan, gave the Mounties an opportunity to keep this game within four by the end of the half.
The following 20 minutes would decide the fate of the underdog, "what if" Mounties, trailing 33-29. If Mount Allison is to turn this match around in the third, they would need to reduce the number of points lost off of turnovers; the Huskies capitalized on 17 points alone from Mount A's turnovers in the first half.
George Brown's Jeremiah Brown, the 6-foot-6 guard from Scarborough, seemed to fail to miss a shot in the third quarter. And just when it appeared his 18 points, four rebounds and perfect free throw percentage would settle this contest, an illegal screen and a charge by the Huskies energized the Mountie Pride crowd. Fighting back from a double-digit deficit, the George Brown Huskies led 59-51 heading into the final quarter of play. No big deal, only a gold medal matchup versus the Keyano Huskies on the line.
The turnovers forced by George Brown (28) only accumulated throughout this contest, and Mount Allison would ultimately lose too much ground. George Brown slowed the pace to their liking and relied on their big guns to provide the overwhelming offence. Brown and Masters finished this one with 27 and 15 points, respectively, sending George Brown to the infamous gold medal game, to be played on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Mount Allison will contest for a spot in the bronze medal game tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Edmond Surur earned 4imprint Player of the Game for the home side.
Heading into the final showdown with Keyano, 4imprint Player of the Game Brown's inner-child showed post-game, noting how, even with a national title on the line, this tournament is "a joy to play." With just 48 hours until either the Keyano Huskies or George Brown Huskies (that will get confusing), Brown echoed one clear message: "Scout for a Keyano Husky."
May the most determined Husky win.
CCAA Quarter-Final: Humber Hawks 104, MSVU Mystics 57
It took the Humber Hawks a full quarter, but they found their rhythm to open the 2024 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Men's Basketball Championship with a convincing 104-57 win Wednesday over the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics.
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) champion Hawks held a slim 19-17 lead after the first quarter over the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) champion Mystics as the 2024 championship got under way in the newly-refurbished MacCormack Gymnasium at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B.
But a combination of speed, a deep bench and sharp three-point shooting allowed Humber to put distance between their East Coast rivals. Humber outscored MSVU 33-5 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Jalen Menzies, 4Imprint Player of the Game for Humber, shook off a slow start to lead the Hawks with 24 points. Kyle Brown-Fazekes contributed 19 and Malik Grant posted 13 points and 13 rebounds. Humber shot a spectacular 14-24 from deep, a 58 per cent clip.
The Mystics started strong with some tough interior defence, but couldn't keep pace with the Hawks, Jayden Smith, MSVU's 4Imprint Player of the Game, led his squad with 16 points. Chase Tynes had some early foul trouble but finished strong with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Issac Matheson added 11 points.
MSVU struggled from three-point range, converting only 16.7 per cent of their attempts. Humber also had an edge on the boards, out rebounding the Mystics 47-31.
Menzies admitted his early struggles but credited the Hawks' bench with the victory.
"I don't think I had my best game today, but our bench is so deep and we work so well together," Menzies said.
Humber will move on to a semi-final match-up while MSVU will battle in a bronze-medal quarter-final. Both games go Thursday at the McCormack Gym.
CCAA Quarter-Final: George Brown Huskies 70, VIU Mariners 69
Ultimately, the overwhelming pace and full-court press defence of the Ontario Athletic Collegiate Association's silver medalist George Brown Huskies was too much to handle for the Pacific Western Athletic Association's champion VIU Mariners. In a nail-biting 70-69 victory for the Huskies, Derrick Taylor and Christian Tabiri led their team one step closer to the desired gold medal match.
Adam Anhold's expected formidable presence in the key was not immediately felt in the first quarter. Down by four with 2:11 remaining in the quarter, subbing out an All-Canadian in Anhold is a testament to head coach Matt Kuzminski's understanding of how this national tournament progresses; lose, and a chance at gold is but a dream.
This four-point Husky lead, largely thanks to guard Taylor's fearless drives, may have been more widespread with a higher team free-throw percentage. As the second quarter started, one had to wonder how long the Huskies' defensive efforts could keep them out of free-throw trouble.
Can a single play change the tide of a game? If so, it occurred midway through the second, when Peter Li of the Mariners made a no-look pass in the key to Anhold. This put a significant separation between the two opponents, now a seven-point lead. The Pacific champs pulled away right when Anhold's game came to life.
In the third, the Huskies' four straight missed three-point attempts were a sign of George Brown's desperate mentality in finding a last hope in closing the 13-point gap. When Li countered with a three of his own, the margin widened.
As the game entered its final quarter, one line can summarize the Mariners' efforts to this point: play by committee. Eight players scored, and nine saw floor time; this is how championship teams are formed. Furthermore, never in this last quarter did the Mariners simultaneously deploy even four out of five top scorers. That is, until the Huskies fought back.
Now a 69-68 game in favour of the Mariners with 10 seconds on the shot clock, the Huskies relied on their first-quarter ways: persistent defence and a little bit of adrenaline from the crowd. However, an indecision by Taylor of the Huskies led to a turnover and an intentional foul on the Pacific champs. Only adding to the drama, Ryan Bastian failed to seal the game, leading to two redemption chances for Taylor with just 2.9 seconds on the game clock.
Bang. Bang. Game over, and the largest comeback of the tournament thus far ends thrillingly.
4imprint player of the game Tabiri of the victorious Huskies noted the fight his team showed despite the hectic finish, in addition to how "we switched it up to a 1-2-2 [defence]," which led to "everything falling in our favour." Anhold received the 4imprint player of the game for his Mariners.
The Huskies will play in the semi-finals on Thursday, March 14, for a chance at gold. The Mariners will also play in the bronze quarter-finals tomorrow.
Source: CCAA Communications/Mount Allison Mounties