Men's Basketball downs Redeemer to extend streak to three

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - Humber men's basketball (7-4, 4th West) opened the second half of the season with a close win over Redeemer (2-10, 10th West) Saturday afternoon. It was a tighter game than most were expecting, facing the last-place Royals, but the Hawks got the job done to win their third straight game, 92-87. Jalen Menzies led Humber in scoring once again, finishing with a game-high 24 points. Romeo Osas Joshua and Taujh Motiki-Stephens finished with 13 points each, while Kameron David rounded out Humber's double-digit scorers with 11 points.     

Game Recap

Facing a team sitting at the bottom of the standings, Humber wanted to use Saturday afternoon as a confidence booster for the new year. The Royals came to play, though, and Humber was only up 12-11 midway through the opening quarter. Redeemer played an intense three-man full-court press, trying to force turnovers during Humber's zone entries. The game started getting sloppier as both teams became desperate for baskets. The teams would continue to trade buckets down the stretch, and Humber would leave the quarter leading 25-18 on the back of a Jalen Menzies buzzer-beating three-pointer. 

Humber went into the second quarter looking to extend their lead and wasted no time doing so. The Hawks would quickly extend their lead to 12 and force Redeemer to take a timeout just over a minute into the quarter. Redeemer wouldn't back down though, slowly closing the gap as the Hawks struggled to produce offensively. The Royals would get within four points, forcing Humber to call a timeout. The brief pause did nothing to stem the energy with both teams playing hard-nosed physical basketball. Kameron David got the bench on their feet after taking on two defenders by himself and finishing with a euro-step lay. Humber would go into halftime leading 42-35. 

 Coming into the second half, tensions were high. Redeemer was playing high-intensity, physical basketball. The Royals were intent on closing the lead, hitting deep threes to continue closing the gap on the Hawks. After a missed layup by Humber, Redeemer would take it down the court to them within one just over halfway through the quarter. The Hawks would respond on the next possession, but Redeemer's confidence had been bolstered. Humber would go on a 7-0 run to try and pull away but Redeemer would stay right with them, trading baskets and drawing fouls to stay within six. Romeo Osas Joshua was the story of the quarter for Humber. The third-year guard scored two clutch three-pointers to keep the Hawks ahead late in the quarter. Soon after, Taujh Motiki-Stephens would force Redeemer to call another timeout after he split the defence and finished hard with a two-handed slam. The Hawks would carry the momentum through the stretch, increasing their lead before the end of the quarter. Humber would lead 72-60 through three quarters of action. 

Humber knew they needed to keep their foot on the gas coming into the fourth quarter. Redeemer was visibly frustrated and playing desperation basketball. Humber relied on their team play and familiarity to keep the game firmly in their grasp. Redeemer failed to close the gap and Humber would work comfortably with a seven-point lead for most of the quarter. Redeemer would close the lead to four with just under a minute remaining, forcing Humber to take a timeout up, 85-81. The final dagger for the Royals would come just a few possessions later as Taujh Motiki-Stephens would cut through the zone for the two-handed finish, putting Humber ahead by multiple possessions. The Hawks would win the game 92-87.

Kameron David was named the Hawks Nation player of the game, finishing with 11 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.   

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 27-4 all-time against Redeemer.
• Romeo Osas Joshua's 13 points were a season-high. 
• Jalen Menzies recorded his sixth 20+ point game this season and leads the Hawks in scoring with 21.5 ppg.
• The Hawks' 61 rebounds are a season high. They currently lead the OCAA in rebounds with 49.8 REB/G.

 What's Next?

Humber will travel to Kitchener on Jan. 17 to face the Conestoga Condors (4-7, 8th West). With tipoff scheduled for 8:00 PM, you can catch the action at OCAA Live.