HAWKS HIT CENTURY MARK FOR 4TH STRAIGHT GAME IN 109-69 WIN
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sault (0-3, 0-3) | 7 | 16 | 31 | 15 | 69 |
|
Humber (4-0, 4-0) | 20 | 28 | 34 | 27 | 109 |
ETOBICOKE, ON: The Humber Hawks men's basketball team continue to score at a pace never seen in Hawks history, as they scored over 100 points for the fourth straight game to open the 2017/18 season. Saturday's game was an 109-69 win over the Sault Cougars in the home opener at the Humber Athletic Centre.
The first field goal of the game came from C.J. Bennett, who scored a three pointer off a pass from Kenny Ejim, giving Humber the early advantage. Bennett led the Hawks in scoring after the first quarter with 5 points. Shortly after, it was the second year player Stefan Grujic who grabbed an offensive rebound and followed it up with a basket of his own. Grujic finished the 1st quarter with 4 rebounds, and made his presence felt further with his defensive effort, drawing a charge a couple of possessions later. The Hawks held the Cougars to 4-17 shooting (23%), all of their points came from Fafa Ceesay, who scored 7 points. DeQuan Cascart provided a boost off the bench with 4 points, as the Humber Hawk bench outscored the Cougar reserves 10-0. After 10 minutes of play, Humber was up 20-7.
In the 2nd quarter, Humber's leading scorer Kenny Ejim (22.7 PPG) pushed the Hawks lead further by contributing 11 points in the quarter, including 3 three-pointers. Humber's bench scored 10 points in the second (matching their 1st quarter total). Behind CJ Bennet's defense, the Hawks forced 7 turnovers. Despite this, Sault College converted their field goals at an efficient rate, improving to 46% shooting. This time it was the Cougar's leading scorer, Donte James (18.5 PPG) getting on the board, along with teammates Nate Kwofie and Hassan Konateh, who each had 4 points in the quarter. However, the Hawks offense did not slow down, as they only missed 4 field goals in the quarter (11-15). Humber's bench scored 10 points once again, helping the team on route to a 48-23 advantage heading into the first half.
Sault's momentum carried into the second half, with both teams trading baskets throughout the 3rd quarter. Only 10 combined field goals were missed, as the Cougars were 12 for 16, while the Hawks were 13 for 19. The reserves continued to play a factor in the game for Humber, Gabe Anderson, Jaspreet Singh and Jerome Gayle each had 6 points. Furthermore, Byron Trench provided 5 points as well, giving the Hawks 21 bench points in the quarter. It was an action packed 3rd quarter, with the Cougars responding behind the play of first year forward Rik Lam, who matched his season average scoring all 11 of his points in the quarter. Sault College was only narrowly outscored, 31-34, allowing Humber to have a 82-54 lead.
Humber tightened up their defense in the 4th quarter, yet both teams shot the same field goal percentage in the last 10 minute of play (42.9%). Humber outscored Sault 27-15, and the Cougars were never able to take a lead in the game despite their continued improvements on offense through the duration of the game. The play of the game occurred in the final quarter of play, as Terry Hill made a highlight-reel play, by entertaining everyone in attendance with a hesitation move on the baseline followed by a reverse layup over the Cougar's defense. This further emphasized the impact the bench had on the outcome of the game, which was a 109-69 win for the Humber Hawks. Humber finished with a season high in points, field goals (41), field goal percentage (56%), and assists (25). Donte James led the Cougars in scoring once again with 13 points, while four Humber players finished in double digits. Including Kenny Ejim, who led the game with 17 points. C.J. Bennett had 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, along with Jerome Gayle and Jaspreet Singh who also finished with 12 points.
The Humber Hawks will finish their double header against Sault College Sunday afternoon (November 5th) at 3:00 PM, live on Hawks Sports Network. After the conclusion of the double header, they will continue the home stand with a game against Redeemer on November 11th.
