Women's Basketball downs Niagara in 2023 home opener

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - Humber women's basketball opened the 2023 OCAA season with a commanding victory Wednesday evening over the visiting Niagara Knights (1-1), 66-54.

Kia Watt and Sarah Baptie finished with double-doubles, while Maezell Del Mundo dropped a career-high 16 points.

Game Recap

Both teams started quickly, playing a physical brand of basketball, with three Niagara starters over six feet tall. Humber's defensive awareness and court vision were on display right away.

The Hawks stole the ball three times in the first three minutes, converting all three steals into baskets. They took advantage of Niagara's heavy feet, quickly moving the ball around the offensive zone to open up holes in the Knights' defence. Kia Watt took charge early for the Hawks, converting multiple free throws and scoring nine points in the first half to give Humber a 26-14 lead through ten minutes.

Watt would start right where she left off, scoring Humber's first basket of the second half, cutting through the defence to score a contested layup. The Knights would apply some offensive pressure midway through the second, thanks to some clutch defensive plays from centre Kate Roth, cutting Humber's lead to five. The Hawks would try and push back, but the Knights stayed steady. The half would end 36-30 in favour of the Hawks.

The Hawks started a little slow after halftime, allowing Niagara to get within three points. Maezell Del Mundo would take the reins for the Hawks; the second-year guard would steal the ball and then score back-to-back three-pointers, increasing Humber's lead to nine. With the Hawks' confidence bolstered, they would start to take over the game, much like they did in the first quarter. The Hawks would get out of the third having re-expanded their lead to 53-43.

The Hawks came into the fourth quarter intent on protecting their lead. They focused heavily on the defensive end of the court, taking time and space away from the Knights. Humber would keep the Knights scoreless for the first three minutes of the half, extending their lead to 57-43. The Knights would make a push, though, cutting the information to seven and making the game 59-52 with less than three minutes remaining. Humber would lock in for those last three minutes, holding the Knights to 54 points and winning the game, 66-54.

Maezell Del Mundo would receive player of the match thanks to her second-half effort. She would finish with 16 points, shooting four-for-seven from three-point range.  

 Humber Highlights

• The Hawks improve to 9-3 in home openers during the Coach Sharma era. 
• Kia Watt scored 20-plus points for the tenth time in her career.
• Humber improves to 44-10 all-time against Niagara.
• Sarah Baptie recorded her first career double-double. 

What's Next?

Humber will face Sheridan (0-1) on November 1st, with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 pm. You can catch the action at the North Campus Gym or stream it live on the  Hawks Sports Network.