HAWKS MEN SNARE NUMBER TWO SEED AT CCAA NATIONALS
FORT MCMURRAY, ALBERTA: The Humber Hawks men's basketball team, defending CCAA National Champions and current OCAA Champions, are set to return to the CCAA Nationals hosted by Keyano College. The Hawks enter the event as the number two seed, just behind the team they beat to win gold last year, the Mariners from Victoria Island University (VIU).
Humber entered OCAA post-season play with a seventh ranking in the country, but by way of knocking off three higher seeded OCAA teams on their way to provincial title and their success last year, they were bumped up to the second seed at the Nationals. Humber defeated St. Lawrence – Kingston to open the OCAA's, and then needed overtime to knock off rival Sheridan in the semi-finals, before avenging last year's OCAA title game loss to Mohawk by a score of 86-79.
The Hawks will open the event on Thursday, March 17th at 4:00 pm EST. They'll face the seventh seeded and wildcard Camosun Chargers, the Cinderella team of the CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. The Chargers, the sixth seed in the PACWEST (Alberta) playoffs, upset the No. 2 seeded Quest Kermodes 84-64 in the conference semi-finals. Camosun, defeated by VIU in the final, earned the PACWEST wildcard position.
The usual suspects of Tyrone Dickson (Championship MVP) and Gibson Eduful (Championship and First Team League All Star) led the Hawks, but they added a significant contribution from a freshman. CJ Bennett, son of former Hawk and CCAA National Champion Chris Bennett, led both teams on the scoresheet, with 19 points.
On the season, it was Eduful who led the offence, and Dickson who spearheaded the defence. But the key to the Hawks is the balance, as indicated in the team having four players contributing in double digits offensively in every play-off game, and most games all year long. Defence has not been a problem for Humber's swarming defenders, as they finished third in the OCAA allowing 69.3 points per game against.
Glancing at the individual statistics of the 8-13 Chargers, it is clear to see that they have a number of players who share in the team scoring. They averaged 75 points a game for, and surrendered a very similar mark of 76.6 points against. AJ Beaudry and Ted Neilson are the most consistent scorers, and each have exploded in games at times during the season. Neilson is the only Camosun player to break into any PACWEST Top Ten category, sitting in third in rebounds, at 8.31 per game.
When evaluating the match-up, two factors jump off the page, with both leaning in the Hawks favour. First, Humber advances as a conference champion and the Chargers, after a less than stellar regular season fought their way through from the sixth seed spot in their conference. Secondly, the Hawks were at the championships last year, and has experience on Canada's biggest college basketball stage.
Playing in the Chargers favour are two items as well. They emerged from one of the most difficult conferences in the country, and no one should discount the current Cinderella run they are on.
OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT WEBSITE:
http://www.ccaa.ca/national-championship-s15104
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