No. 3 MEN'S BASKETBALL WINS 12th STRAIGHT, BEATS UTM 120-97
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
U of T Mississauga | 18 | 17 | 30 | 32 | 97 |
|
Humber | 35 | 29 | 25 | 31 | 120 |
By: Ronny Musikitele
Humber Athletics Sports Information
ETOBICOKE, Ont -- No. 3 Humber men's basketball (12-0, 1st West) dominated the University of Toronto-Mississauga Wednesday evening, winning its first home game of 2019, 120-97.
Jordon Francis led the way for Humber, notching his first career double-double finishing with a career-high 24 points and 14 rebounds. Overall, it was a dominating team performance for the Hawks, who finished with a season-high 120 points and 36 team assists. Zach Marcelline continued his hot run, adding 16 points, while Jaylan Morgan added 15 points on five-of-ten (50 per cent) shooting from the floor. Kevin Otoo, Fowzi Mohamoud, Trevon Mollison, and Jordan Rose rounded out Humber's double-digit scorers, finishing with 14, 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
Humber's great playmaking and smothering defence allowed the Hawks to open the game on a 21-3 run. Kevin Otoo and Jordon Francis got the crowd going with some big slam dunks. Fowzi Mohamoud was hot in the first half, helping Humber increase its lead to 30 points with 0:12 remaining in the second frame. Humber controlled the game on both ends of the floor in the first half, as they went into halftime with a 64-35 lead.
Despite the large lead, the Hawks defence collapsed after the break, bringing their lead down to as low as 16 points.
UTM was led by the 2017-18 OCAA Rookie of the Year, Zamam Khan who finished with a game-high 40 points and eight rebounds. Gregory Roberts, who leads the league in scoring, finished with 28 points. Khan and Roberts managed to attempt 30 free-throws, combined. This was a major problem for Humber, whose defence allowed 62 points in the second half.
The Hawks chemistry continues to grow as the season progress. The entire team loves to support each other and are happy to see each other succeed. Their Achilles heel lies in maintaining their aggressiveness, no matter the score.
The Samson Downey era could not have started any better. With tonight's win, Coach Downey officially tied the program record for most victories to begin a season by a first-year coach (12 in 2010 by Shawn Collins).
"I was happy I was able to put things together today," said second-year forward Jordon Francis. "My teammates did a great job in getting me the ball in spots I like. Hopefully, it's up from here, [I] just have to keep working".
"We want to give him that dub on Sunday, he deserves it," added Francis when asked about any motivation on getting Coach Downey to 13 straight wins to start a season. "He's a great coach, and he trusts us to make plays. And when your coach trusts you, it's easy to have confidence. "
What's Next?
No. 3 Humber will host Fanshawe (9-3, 4th West) on Jan. 20 at the North Campus Gym. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.
