DIVISION LEADING MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST NIAGARA ON THURSDAY
The Men's Basketball Team are set to play host to the Niagara Knights on Thursday night, looking to stay undefeated on home court and carry the momentum from dominant win over Fanshawe last week.
The Hawks 9-1 record has them in sole possession of first place in the Western Division, a game up on both Mohawk and Fanshawe. With playoff seeding sure to play a critical role in the road to a provincial title, the season's final eight games will be crucial among the Division's top three teams.
The Hawks recent success has come largely thanks a defense that has been as stingy as they come, with a scary mix of long, athletic wings, quick guards and elite rim protection. Humber has been by far the Western Division's strongest defense on a per game basis (allowing just 68.7 points per game), while the teams rebounding margin of plus 18.5 is tops in the OCAA by more than five a night. The addition of swingman Ancil Martin has already paid dividends, as his length and athletic ability suffocated Fanshawe all night on Friday. The blue and gold are allowing opponents a mere 34.2 percent shooting from the field (the best mark in Ontario) and appear to be getting stronger as the season moves along, having held opponents under sixty points three time in their past seven outings. At the point of attack, starting point guard Gibson Eduful has done a masterful job of consistently hounding opponents, forcing two turnovers a game and countless transition opportunities.
Humber's strength on the offensive end has come largely thanks to a balanced attack that has an OCAA best five players averaging double figures. The frontcourt combination of Vule Grujic and Tyrone Dickson have controlled the painted area thus far, forming one of the most imposing duos in the country. Each are scoring better than eleven points a game, and the two have averaged a combined 17.7 boards a night. The 6'10" Grujic's length and ability to alter looks in the paint, along with Dickson's knack for cleaning up the boards (he is the programs all-time single season rebound record holder) give the squad a decided advantage down low nearly every time that they step on the court.
The Hawks movement offensively comes largely because of the point guard duo of Eduful and RJ Ramirez, who have combined for seven helpers a game while getting the Hawks into their sets effectively. Brayden Gohn and Chad Bewley have each been great taking advantage of the big men's work on the interior, each shooting around forty percent from beyond the arc.
Opening tip is set for 8pm on Thursday night, and you can be sure the Hawks will be ready to go in search of the season sweep and looking to further distance themselves from the pack.
For full season schedule, standings, statistics and more please visit http://ocaa.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/standings-include.