A NATIONAL DYNASTY - FOUR CCAA TITLES IN FIVE YEARS
One of the most subjective and contested concepts in sport is the term “dynasty”. The origin of the word is from the Greek dunasteia, meaning “lordship”. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a dynasty is defined as:
1) A powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time.
From 1991 to 1995, the Humber men’s basketball program went to five consecutive national championship tournaments and won four titles, including three straight. This team was dynastic in the truest sense of the word, in that they were a sports family headed by a supreme patriarch [Mike Katz] that held their standing over a period of time.
During this five-year stretch, the Hawks captured five provincial titles, had four student-athletes named All-Canadians, and finished with an incredible 102-9 (.919) regular and postseason record.
By: JASON B. JUMP – STAFF WRITER
March 16, 1995
The men's basketball team is back on top after winning its fourth national title in five years.
The Hawks devoured the Langara Falcons of B.C. 87-81 at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro. Tournament MVP Steve McGregor scored 21 points, and tournament All-Star Jason Daley scored 17 points.
When the final buzzer sounded, the team erupted into celebration and tears of jubilation.
The game was a nail biter to the end. Coach Mike Katz said, "(the) game was one of the two greatest games I've ever coached in my life."
He said it ranked right up there with the World Championships in the summer when he coached the Canada- Greece game.
Hawk veterans such as McGregor, Oneil Henry, Mark Croft, and Everton Webb have won national titles before.
However, they said this championship was special because everybody on the team contributed.
"This is the greatest. Nothing would ever compare to this feeling.
"Our team came together at the right time. This is not a one man team; it's just a team," said McGregor.
For most of the Hawks, this was their first national title. Jason Daley said it doesn't get any better than this.
"This is what we worked all year (for)," he said.
"For six months we were sweating, getting injuries; this is the top - number one."
Hawks Warrick Manners agrees.
"It feels very nice considering we were supposed to win last year but we had a really bad game," he said.
"To win it this year it's a lot better because I felt more a part of the team. I played more, and I wasn't a rookie."
The game was a true test of Humber's will to win. Langara was aggressive in rebounding and scored quick, easy baskets from the fast breaks that were available. Langara was ahead 28-18 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Although the Hawks were struggling both on offence and defence, they remained confident.
"Everyone was confident that we were going to win because we've been number one all year," said Manners.
"I think we took the game for granted for a while, and we realized later on that we had to play to win. That's when we pulled it together."
The Hawks indeed pulled it together in the second half. They went on a mean streak by playing aggressively on the boards. Their perimeter shooting improved and Langara wasn't scoring quick, easy baskets as frequently.
Neither team was able to sustain much momentum going into the final stretch. Whenever the Hawks took the lead, Langara tied the score or took the lead themselves. Both teams were tied at 78 with under two minutes remaining; there was tension in the air because nobody had a clue how this game was going to end.
The Hawks took the lead with a minute left. Langara wasn't successful in tying the game on their next attempt, so they had to commit fouls to stop the clock, and possibly have more opportunities to tie the game. Fortunately, the accurate free throw shooting of Oneil Henry and Dwayne Newman clinched the game for the Hawks.
The Hawks had a first-round bye at the nationals because they had the best record in the CCAA (Canadian Colleges Athletic Association). They romped the College of Montmorency, the Quebec champions 94-77 in the semi-finals. Steve McGregor was player of the game with an impressive 33 points.
