By: Zach Worden
SCARBOROUGH— Mikaela Hawkins filled the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, one block and four steals as the Centennial Colts beat the George Brown Huskies 62-52 in Thursday night OCAA women's basketball action.
Christianna Crooks also had a big performance as the game's leading scorer. She finished with 18 points, getting to the line for five. She also chipped in on the glass, coming down with five rebounds.
Jordyn Dawkins and Kiara Graham led the Huskies in the loss. Graham tallied a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Dawkins finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
The Colts came away with the big in-division win, improving to 4-7 while dropping their East Division rival Huskies to 2-8.
Centennial opened the game on an 8-0 run, sparked by some strong defence and its ability to get to the rim and finish.
Despite the early run, George Brown went on a run of its own to get back into the game and eventually take a lead of its own in the later stages of the opening quarter.
Dawkins was the leading scorer on either side through the first 10 minutes, pouring in nine early points and helping the Huskies take a 20-17 lead into the quarter break.
Despite both sides struggling to put up points early in the second, the Colts started to build momentum as the quarter went on. Hawkins's pair of long jumpers and a three from Tiffany James highlighted the Centennial run to retake the lead.
The Colts' defence also clamped down in the second, holding George Brown to just three points in the quarter while forcing five turnovers.
Centennial used its big second to build a 36-23 lead heading into halftime. Crooks and Hawkins led the way, combining for 24 first-half points on 11-of-15 shooting.
The Huskies changed up their approach in the second half, turning to a press on defence. The change proved to be effective as they forced multiple Colts turnovers and two eight-second violations.
The change in defence also brought on better offensive results as George Brown opened the third on a 12-3 to cut its deficit to just four halfway through the quarter.
Despite the Huskies' effort to get back into the game, they were unable to retake the lead as Centennial continued to hold off the visitors.
The Colts carried a 45-40 lead into the final quarter after a run to end the third.
Marian Martin provided a spark in the early stages of the fourth, scoring the first four points of the quarter, helping Centennial extend its lead.
The Colts built their lead to over 10 on a three-point play by Shakiya Stephens that drew a loud reaction from the crowd at Centennial's Athletic and Wellness Centre.
Centennial continued to add points down the stretch, pulling away in the game and locking down its fourth win of the season.