No. 1 HUMBER 4-PEATS AS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS Play Video

No. 1 HUMBER 4-PEATS AS PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS

By Bobby Mihalik
Humber Athletics Sports Information


ETOBICOKE, Ont – Looking to make history and secure their names among the all-time greats, the No. 1 Humber Hawks women's basketball team (20-0, 1st West) triumphed over the No. 11 Fanshawe Falcons (17-3, 2nd West) in the OCAA gold medal match Sunday evening, flying high to a 69-54 score and becoming only the second team in OCAA history to win four straight provincial titles.

The Hawks got down to business straight away, taking the first lead of the game before running the Falcons down. Going on two separate ten-point runs and outscoring their opponents 26-8 in the opening frame, the Hawks dominated to take an 18-point lead into the second. Aleena Domingo and Ceejay Nofuente led the way for the Hawks in the first, each scoring six points, with Nofuente also contributing six rebounds and four assists.

While the Falcons would pick up their pace in the second, the Hawks refused to yield. Keeping pace with the Falcons through the entire quarter, matching every single one of their second-quarter points, the Hawks successfully defended their 18-point lead, ending the half ahead 39-21.

The Hawks shot 34.8 percent (16-of-46) from the field through the first two quarters versus the Falcons field goal percentage of 20 (7-of-35). Nofuente added another four points for the Hawks in the second, alongside another three rebounds.

With Jahnae Gyles netting a three-point shot to open the second half, the Hawks looked primed to take over the pace of the game again. Instead the third belonged to the Falcons, who outscored the Hawks 19-13 through the entire quarter, decreasing the Hawks' lead to 12 points. Gyles had five points in the third quarter to lead the Hawks, while Chuot Angou of Fanshawe led her team with seven.

Capitalizing on a stalled Falcons offence, the Hawks steadily increased their lead in the fourth, scoring eleven straight points and shutting the Falcons out for over six minutes. While the Falcons would fight to come back, the Hawks did not relent, capping off their undefeated season with a 69-54 victory and claiming the gold medal for the fourth straight year. Domingo led the Hawks to victory in the fourth by scoring eight points, and the Hawks would shoot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from the field in the quarter to seal the deal.

The Hawks finished the gold medal game making 33.3 percent (28-of-84) of their field goal attempts, versus the Falcons 28.6 percent (20-of-70). The Hawks also converted on 20 percent (5-of-25) of their three-point shots and 53.3 percent (8-of-15) of their free throws.

Miea Campbell-Johnson, with 13 points and seven rebounds, was named the Player of the Game for Humber following the championship victory. Domingo led the team in scoring with 17 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double, Leticia Lopez finished with ten points, and Nofuente also had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Ali Vlasman led the Falcons in scoring during the game with 20 points and ten rebounds for a double-double. Angou, with 13 points, was named Fanshawe's Player of the Game.

Both Lopez and Domingo were named tournament all-stars for Humber, alongside Vlasman and Mikhaila Wright for Fanshawe. For her dominant performance throughout the championship, Nofuente was named as the tournament MVP following Humber's victory.

2018 OCAA Champions #CH4SEHISTORY #4peat @humberhawkswbb

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Humber Highlights

  • Ceejay Nofuente joins Sandre Bascoe (Algonquin 2012-14) as the only players to be named tournament MVP three straight years.
  • Head coach Ajay Sharma is the first coach in program history to win four provincial titles.
  • Humber extends its OCAA win streak to 81 consecutive games.
  • The Hawks improve to 3-1 against Fanshawe in the OCAA championship game.

What's Next
With their gold medals in hand and their fourth straight provincial championship fresh in their minds, the Humber Hawks will move on to try to claim the national crown, securing a berth to the 2018 CCAA National Championship at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The national championship games are scheduled to begin on March 15.