Sharma wins 200th career game as No. 5 Women's Basketball rolls Redeemer
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Redeemer (2-5, 2-5) | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 66 |
|
Humber (7-0, 7-0) | 24 | 20 | 28 | 22 | 94 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – No. 5 Humber women's basketball (7-0, 1st West) cruised to an easy victory Saturday afternoon over the Redeemer Royals (2-5, 7th West) at the North Campus Gym, 94-66. The win was the 200th victory for legendary coach Ajay Sharma, who became the first coach in program history to reach the milestone.
The Hawks jumped ahead to an early lead and never looked back as they dominated the entire game. Marley Bonnick exploded offensively as her 19 points led Humber, with all of them coming in the first half. Kia Watt finished with 18 points and seven boards, while Nicole Chateau rounded out Humber's double-digit scorers with 12 points of her own.
Match Recap
The red-hot Hawks were looking for their seventh consecutive win to start the 2022-23 campaign against the struggling Redeemer Royals. The Hawks' Nest was electric as Marley Bonnick won the opening tip-off to begin Humber's final home game of 2022.
Clutch three-point shooting and offensive efficiency from Bonnick gave her ten quick points to begin the game as the Hawks opened with a 13-5 run. Redeemer cut Humber's lead to two as Kayla Simmond's five points helped the Royals' offence get back on track. Yet, the fifth-ranked Hawks kept rolling after their mid-quarter slump and took a six-point lead as the buzzer sounded to conclude the first frame.
The second quarter was neck-and-neck as both sides traded points. Although the Hawks couldn't extend their lead to more than seven through eight minutes of the quarter, second-year Sarah Baptiste was lights-out for Humber with nine points in the frame. After Redeemer called their first timeout of the game late in the quarter, the Hawks seemed to come alive as Bonnick continued her strong offensive performance to put Humber up by their biggest lead to end the first half.
The top-ranked Ontario team took a nine-point lead over the Royals into the halftime break. Bonnick led her squad in first-half points with 19, while Etobicoke-native Nicole Chateau posted a team-high three assists at the half. Meanwhile, Teija Wareham topped the Hawks in rebounds with seven. Humber shot a respectable 18-of-43 (41.9 per cent) from the floor in the half, but coach Ajay Sharma knew his team's free throw shooting needed to be better if he was going to win his 200th career game. Humber shot a mere five-of-11 (45.5% per cent) from the line, while Redeemer made seven of their 11 attempts.
The North Campus Gym was charged up as the Hawks made their way back on the court to begin the third quarter. Kayah Clarke notched her first bucket, while Kia Watt drained her first three to start the frame as Humber's extended their lead to 14. Chateau drilled a couple triples of her own to put the Hawks in the driver's seat, leaving the Royals a lot of work to do. At the midway mark of the quarter, the Hawks made four shots from three-point territory and went on a 12-4 run to take a 21-point lead into the final frame.
The Hawks' momentum continued into the fourth quarter as they extended their lead to 36 points after a 17-2 run with four minutes left. Humber hit threes and drained their free throw opportunities to make a Royals' comeback impossible. Although Redeemer made a late push, Humber played tenacious defence and held the Royals to 15 points in the quarter. As the buzzer blared to signify the end of the match, Humber's perfect season was kept alive as the Hawks beat their opponents by 28 points.
Humber Highlights
- Two-time national champion Ajay Sharma now has 200 wins in his 11th season with the Hawks. His all-time record improves to 200-30.
- The Hawks' 94 points against Redeemer marks their most in a game this season.
- Nicole Chateau posted a new career high in points with 12 and three-pointers made with three.
- Humber improves to 45-0 all-time against Redeemer.
- Marley Bonnick sits fourth in the OCAA in field goal percentage shooting at 48.2 per cent on the season.
- The Hawks extend their regular season win streak to 13 straight.
- Kayah Clarke is draining the rock 39.1 per cent of the time from beyond the arc, placing her fourth in the OCAA.
- Teija Wareham has recorded double-digit rebounds in back-to-back games.
What's Next?
No. 5 Humber will be on the road for a matchup against the Niagara Knights (4-3, 4th West) on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. to conclude the first half of the 2022-23 OCAA regular season.
