No. 4 Men's Basketball edges out top-ranked St. Clair

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - No. 4 Humber men's basketball (9-0, 1st West) took down the top-ranked team in the country, the St. Clair Saints (8-1, 2nd West) 89-88 in what was the biggest game of the season for both of these squads. Malik Grant led the way for Humber, scoring 24 points and adding six rebounds. Kwabena Antwi was huge in the back-half of the game, scoring 17 and adding six assists on his way to receiving player of the game. 

Game Recap

Facing the only other undefeated team in the West and the top-ranked team in the nation, Humber knew it would have to come ready for this one. 

It was a lightning-fast start from St. Clair, with the Saints going on an 11-2 run to open the quarter. With Humber on its back foot, the Hawks needed to dial in quickly. 

Humber tried to force the offense early on, trying to penetrate the middle of the court and draw fouls. Unfortunately, it just wasn't working. The Hawks weren't missing open looks; they just weren't creating them in the first place. 

Humber would climb back into the game a little in the second-half of the quarter but the Hawks would trail 29-19 after ten minutes of play. 

Back from the break, Humber employed whatever words head coach Omar Miles said in between quarters. Humber started distributing the ball laterally instead of vertically, looking for baseline cuts and creating open shots. 

The Hawks also started making some of the contested shots they struggled with in the opening frame, and just three minutes into the quarter, they'd evened things at 31 points apiece. Humber started the quarter with a 12-2 run with help from five quick points from Adrian Aluyi. 

The offence slowed considerably for both teams once the game was tied. The Hawks were playing solid, aggressive defence, and it looked like they were chipping away at St. Clair's defensive strategies. 

The two teams stayed even throughout the quarter, but Humber was unable to take the lead before the half expired. Humber would go into halftime trailing 46-45. Malik Grant led the Hawks at halftime with 17 points on efficient shooting. 

Back from the break, Humber needed to take over and that's just what they did. Less than two minutes in, the Hawks took their first lead of the game with a mean lay from Kwabena Antwi. 

Humber would maintain a slim lead for the majority of the quarter, St. Clair would tie the game more than once but each time Humber would score on the following possession, not letting momentum swing the other way. 

Even though the lead was slim, it was obvious that St. Clair was playing from behind. The Saints' game had desperation written all over it and Humber could feel it, pushing the pace and forcing St. Clair to play the Hawks' game. 

Humber would lead after three quarters, holding a slim 68-66 lead into the fourth. 

Both teams came out hot for the final quarter. Even with a pair of perfect season on the line, it was more than that. These teams have been at the top of the OCAA for the better part of a decade; they were playing for pride. 

After another clutch lay from Kwabena Antwi have Humber a seven-point lead (their biggest yet), the Hawks knew they'd solved St. Clair. 

By forcing the Saints to conform to their pace, the Hawks had successfully bested the best team in the nation, cementing themselves above the rest. 

Humber didn't look back from that seven-point lead, never letting St. Clair take it away. The Saints would get within one point with just ten seconds remaining, but would hold on for the victory.    

At the end, Humber won the hard-fought battle 89-88, their slimmest margin of victory this season but the biggest win of the year. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber has now won 11 straight against St. Clair at home.
• The Hawks improves 57-15 all-time against St. Clair.
• Humber has the third-best offence in the OCAA, averaging 89 ppg and the second-most efficient offence with a net rating of 1.061.
• Humber has the best defence in the OCAA, averaging just 64 points against.
• Humber leads the OCAA in blocks/game with 5.3. 

What's Next?

No. 4 Humber will face Lambton (4-4, 5^th West) at home on Sunday as the second part of a back-to-back. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM and you can catch all the action streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network's YouTube channel.