Men's Basketball rolls Fanshawe to conclude first half of season

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - On Friday night at home, Humber men's basketball (6-4, 4th West) completed a commanding 79-59 win over the Fanshawe Falcons (4-6, 7th West). The Hawks led from the opening tipoff and never looked back. Their ball movement and defensive play were too much for the lesser Falcons. Jalen Menzies once again led the team in scoring, finishing with a game-high 25 points - including five three-pointers. Malik Grant recorded a double-double, while Kwabena Antwi rounded out Humber's double-digit scorers with 12 points. 

Game Recap

Fresh off a commanding win against a struggling Redeemer team, the Hawks looked to take advantage of another underpowered team on Friday evening. Humber got off to a blazing start, going up 10-0 just three minutes into the game. Fanshawe would settle into the game shortly after, and the teams would start trading baskets evenly. Humber dazzled the crowd with their ball movement, leaving Fanshawe defenders scrambling and the Hawks with open looks. Humber would end the half with a 24-14 lead, with Jalen Menzies leading the way with ten points.

Humber continued playing good basketball on both sides of the court, playing solid defence and slowly outscoring the Falcons. Humber showed its dominance in the way it ran the court. Fanshawe couldn't keep up with the Hawks' ball movement, and their offence sat stagnant around the basket. Humber continued to pad its lead through the second quarter, getting solid baskets from their bench. The Hawks would close the quarter with a commanding 48-27 lead. Jalen Menzies was cash once again, finishing the half with 18 points. Kyle Brown-Fazekas was the playmaker, with four assists at halftime.

The trends from the first half continued in the second, with Humber playing a solid two-way game. The Falcons managed to keep pace with Humber offensively for a while, but eventually, the talent and poise of the Hawks took over once again. With just under two minutes left, Kyle Brown-Fazekas got the crowd on their feet again with a defensive steal and a fast break layup to give the Hawks their most significant lead. With all the calls falling in favour of Fanshawe, the Falcons would close the gap slightly late in the quarter. The third quarter would end 65-48 in favour of the Hawks.

With flashbacks of the loss to Conestoga looming in the minds of the Hawks, they were intent on not letting their lead slip away. Fanshawe closed the gap to 15 points early in the quarter, but the Hawks started showing the resilience they'd been waiting for all season. Instead of breaking down, Humber bore down and played responsibly on both ends of the court, not letting the Falcons take another inch. A 15-point deficit was the closest the Falcons would come to evening the game, and Humber would send Fanshawe back to London with a commanding 79-59 win.

The player of the game was Malik Grant, who scored 13 points and ten rebounds. 

Humber Highlights 

• Humber has now won 14 of their last 15 against the Falcons, improving to 57-25 all-time.
• Jalen Menzies has his fifth 20+ point night this season; he is currently fifth in the OCAA in scoring.
• Malik Grant has his second double-double of the season, the last coming against Lambton in November.

What's Next? 

Humber will host Redeemer (2-7, 9th West) on January 13 to begin the second half of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 pm, and you can catch the action on Hawks Sports Network.