Offensive slump ends Men's Basketball's title hopes

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

SACKVILLE, NB— On Thursday evening, men's basketball suffered a disappointing loss against Keyano College. With a final score of 63-56, Humber had multiple chances to beat Alberta's best, but a solid defensive performance from the Huskies ended the Hawks' quest for national gold. Malik Grant finished with a team-high 15 points and six rebounds, but offence was tough to find for everyone in this one. To the Hawks' credit, they had to work for every single basket. 

Game Recap

Facing the 2024 ACAC champion Keyano Huskies, the Hawks knew they had a challenge ahead of them. The Huskies were the stingiest squad defensively in Alberta this year and had the best efficiency rating. Their solid defensive system struggled to handle Humber in the first quarter though, as the Hawks exploded in the second half of the first to take a 19-14 lead through ten minutes of play.

The second quarter was disastrous for Humber. After a fantastic first and a decent start to the second, the Hawks gave up an 11-0 run in the middle of the quarter, squandering their lead and trailing by ten at the end of the half. The Hawks were outscored 20-5 in the quarter and were looking at a 34-24 point deficit going into halftime.

After a serious discussion during the break, Humber came out for the second half ready to play. The Hawks held the Huskies scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter. After the Huskies' first basket, Humber went on a 12-2 run for the remainder of the quarter; only allowing four points compared to its own 16. The Hawks managed five steals in the quarter as well, but none were more important than Kwabena Antwi's, which came with less than a minute left the quarter. The first-year guard stole the ball after a fantastic defensive effort from Kyle Brown-Fazekas before running the court and dishing it to Malik Grant, who gave the Hawks their first lead since the second quarter. Humber would end the quarter leading 40-38 on the back its of team play.  

The beginning of the fourth quarter was nothing short of a disaster. Keyano took the lead with a three-pointer on its first possession, and Humber failed to respond. The Huskies proceeded to go on a 17-0 run. To the Humber's credit, they played good defence for most of the run but couldn't generate open looks. Keyano's defence was better than advertised, especially its off-ball defence. Humber couldn't get open and couldn't get the ball moving. The Hawks were stuck on 40 points for eight-and-a-half minutes, scoring their first quarter points with 1:35 left in the game.

Once they did score, though, they went on an 11-2 run, with highlight-reel baskets from Malik Grant and Jalen Menzies, but Humber would run out of time. Keyano received 15 free throws in the final two minutes, taking full advantage and cashing 11. The Huskies had all the luck with the officials tonight, getting 26 free throws compared to Humber's three. The Hawks managed to get within four with less than a minute remaining, but a bad bounce out of bounds would be the dagger. With a final score of 63-56, the Hawks now look towards CCAA Bronze.

Kwebena Antwi was honoured as the Hawks' player of the game for his defensive play. He had eight points and four rebounds but locked down some of Keyano's best players all night long and added three steals.

Game Notes

• Humber will look to win its fifth CCAA bronze medal.
• This was Coach Miles' first CCAA tournament loss.
• This was the first time Humber has faced Keyano in CCAA tournament play, this is only Keyano's second time making the CCAA championship.
• Humber falls to 12-8 all-time against the ACAC conference.

What's Next?

Men's Basketball will face the Vanier Cheetahs (20-2, 2^nd in RSEQ) in the bronze semifinal on March 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 P.M. You can catch the PPV action on CCAA.ca.