DOMINANT DEFENCE PROPELS No.2 HAWKS TO OCAA TITLE GAME
Photo credit: ryanmcculloughphotography.ca
Update: Hawks will play Mohawk in the 2016 OCAA championship game
WELLAND, ON: For the second straight season, the no.2 Humber Hawks (18-0, 1st West) are headed to the OCAA Championship game after a dominating 71-49 win over the no.10 Fanshawe Falcons (14-4, 3rd West). Behind a season-high 21 points from Atissa Cronk (Kingston), the Hawks are now one win away from a gold medal and the second undefeated season in program history.
Similar to their quarter-final game, the Hawks started with a slow tempo offence, establishing a feel for the game and setting up their offence to attack as the game progressed. Both teams displayed tremendous defence in the first quarter and at the buzzer, Humber led 11-6.
After OCAA coach of the year Ajay Sharma made his first quarter adjustments, the Hawks showed the province why they are the tournament favourites. The league's best defence was once again suffocating, forcing 29 Fanshawe turnovers during the game. Cronk led the Hawks with 16 first-half points as Humber went into half leading 38-18 at half.
The second-half was much like the first, with Humber dominating the Falcons on both sides of the ball. Fanshawe came into the game as the sixth highest scoring offence in the province after averaging 67.6 points this season and were 29 points after three quarters.
With a 34 point lead heading into the final frame, Humber cruised to the 71-49 win. Fanshawe was held to under 50 points twice this season, both coming from Humber's stifling defence.
In the end, all 14 Hawks played in the game and Humber's bench outscored the Falcon's bench 39-19. As a team, the Hawks shot a blistering 44.6 percent from the floor.
Cronk received "player of the game" for her efforts after finishing with a game-high 21 points and four rebounds. All-Canadian Ceejay Nofuente (Toronto) stuffed the stat sheet once again and finished with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals.
A day removed from scoring a season-high 26 points, All-Star forward Llyandra Kerr (Markham) posted another impressive line after finishing with 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
Humber has now extended their win streak against OCAA opponents to 36 consecutive games.
The Hawks now await the winner of Saturday's final game between the Algonquin Thunder (12-2, 1st East) and the Mohawk Mountaineers (15-3, 3rd West). The gold medal game is scheduled for 7:00pm Saturday night at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre.
