Dominant second half sends No. 10 Men's Basketball to OCAA quarter-final

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - No. 10 Humber men's basketball (14-5, 2^nd West) dominated their first postseason game against St. Lawrence (6-13, 7^th East) on Saturday. The Hawks picked up their sixth consecutive win with a final score of 97-70. Malik Grant led the way offensively for the Humber, scoring a team-high 22 points while shooting 75 per cent from the floor. 

Game Recap

It was a confident start to the postseason for men's basketball. Facing a team that hasn't won at North in over 40 years, the Hawks made sure to add another year to the streak. To St. Lawrence's credit, the Surge was determined to play good defensive basketball. The Surge did an effective job of keeping Humber to the outside. The Hawks responded appropriately though, focusing on their own defence and relying on their size and skill to consistently pull away from the Surge. Humber ended the first leading 18-14, with seven different players contributing to the scoring effort. 

Humber started to really pull ahead in the second quarter. St. Lawrence struggled to knock down baskets and get clean passes, and Humber made them pay. The Hawks went on a 12-3 run to open the quarter. St. Lawrence would surge back though, using free throws and sinking threes to stay in the game. Luckily for Humber, the Surge struggled mightily from the line, shooting an abysmal 38% from the charity stripe at halftime. The story of the half would be the officiating. Humber, playing a physical brand of basketball, had 14 fouls called on them at halftime. Contrasting greatly with the four that had been called against St. Lawrence. However, Humber held on through the disparity in calls and would own a 42-32 lead going into halftime. Once again, it was a team effort, with 11 different Hawks getting on the board. 

The Hawks knew they needed to play clean basketball in the second half. Both teams came into the half with intensity, but it was obvious that the Hawks were scared to contest shots physically. Humber put together multiple highlight-reel passing plays involving all five players in almost every play. St. Lawrence clearly came ready to guard Hawks star Jalen Menzies. The Surge wasn't ready for the fact that Menzies could run an offence without being the primary scorer. At the beginning of the third quarter, Menzies had more assists than points. Malik Grant was absolutely cash all quarter. The Surge had no response for his midrange, as his high release point made him nearly unblockable. Humber led 66-48 at the end of the third thanks to Menzies' playmaking and the rest of the squad finishing. 

Jalen Menzies was the story of the fourth quarter. After scoring just seven points through the first three quarters, the Hawks star racked up ten points in less than three minutes to start the fourth, helping Humber create a 12-3 run. From then on, it was pure dominance for Humber as the Hawks sent out the reserves to finish the job. Humber would close out the game calmly, sending St. Lawrence home with a final score of 97-70. Jalen Menzies was the player of the game, scoring 17 points and adding four assists.      

Humber Highlights

• Humber is now 10-0 all-time in the crossover round.
• St. Lawrence has not won at North Campus since 1982. For reference, 1982 was also the year "Thriller" was released.
• The Hawks are now 29-1 at home in the playoffs and have not lost a postseason game at home in more than 35 years.
• Malik Grant has only missed three shots in his last two games, shooting a combined 83 per cent through his last two contests while averaging 18.5 points.  

What's Next?

Humber will face Sheridan (11-8, 6^th West) at home in a postseason edition of "The Game". The game is scheduled for February 24 at 2pm. Catch all the action on Hawks Sports Network.