TOP 50 MOMENTS - THE PUTBACK
ETOBICOKE, Ont -- Winning a national championship is always special. It’s an accomplishment that will live forever. Future players, coaches and spectators will see the trophy in the hall and the banner hanging in the rafters. When the end result is so exhilarating, some may forget how fortunate they were to get there. Big plays often go overlooked when, in fact, without them, there would be no championship at all.
After finishing the 2014-15 OCAA season with a 17-1 record, the Humber Hawks men’s basketball program went into the playoffs as the top seed and were the overwhelming favourites in their quarterfinal matchup against the Lambton Lions.
A slow start in the opening frame saw the Hawks trailing by 13 points, and as the game progressed, the Lions increased their lead to 19.
Never losing hope, Humber rallied late in the fourth quarter to decrease its deficit to two points. With time running out, Hawks all-star Ancil Martin attempted a contested three that was short, but what happened next will forever live in Humber basketball lore.
Big man Tyrone Dickson recognized the miss and made an incredibly athletic play, snatching the shot in mid-air for the putback as time expired to force overtime, where the Hawks would prevail 83-82.
As history shows, the Hawks beat VIU to win their sixth national title that season, demonstrating how one big play can be the difference between CCAA gold and an OCAA quarterfinal loss.
