No. 14 MEN'S BASKETBALL CONCLUDE 2017 SCHEDULE FRIDAY

The Storyline
No. 14 Humber men's basketball (8-2, 3rd West) will be concluding the first half of its 2017-18 schedule Friday evening when they head to Welland for a matchup with Niagara (5-3, 7th West). The game will be streamed live online, and tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Last Time Out
Humber surpassed the century mark for the sixth time this season in a 109-53 win over the UTM Eagles (0-9, 11th West). C.J. Bennett paced the way for the Hawks, recording his first career triple-double, finishing with 16 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists. Kenny Ejim finished with a team-high 25 points - his seventh 20-plus game of the season.

Block Party
The Hawks have recorded nine blocked shots in back-to-back games, the highest two-game total in the Patrick Au era. Humber has recorded 45 blocked shots so far this season, the highest total in the west division.

From Deep
Humber continues to hit more 3-pointers than any West team while leading the conference in 3-point percentage (37.5 percent). Kenny Ejim has hit 33 triples this season, the most in the CCAA.

Efficiency
From the floor, the Hawks are shooting 47.4 percent (358-of-755), their highest percentage since the 2014-15 season. Humber leads all CCAA programs in field goal percentage (min. 600 attempts).

Scouting Niagara
Led by first-year head coach Mike Hurley, the Knights will be returning to Welland for the first time in nearly a month, dropping two of their three games on the road. Levi Makuna is Niagara's top scoring threat, as the fourth-year guard is averaging 20.7 ppg.

Niagara has struggled at the free throw line this season and currently sits 18th in the league, shooting 57.0 percent (135-of-237) from the line.

Last Meeting
These two programs last met in the 2017 OCAA bronze medal game, where Humber escaped with an 82-79 victory at Centennial College. Despite missing top-scorer Van Hutchinson Jr. due to injury, the Knights rallied from an early ten-point deficit. Levi Makuna finished with 12 points, while C.J. Bennett finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in the win for Humber.

Welland Woes
The Welland Campus Athletic Centre has been a difficult place for the Hawks as of late, losing two straight, and three of the last five. Despite its recent struggles in Welland, Humber owns a 14-8 (.636) record all-time at Niagara, dating back to the 1978-79 season.

What's Next
With the conclusion of the OCAA season for 2017, Humber will host the annual East/West Holiday series Dec. 29-30.