Late second-half rally sends Men's Basketball to the national semifinal

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

SAINT LAURENT - On Wednesday, the Hawks (22-1) found themselves in a familiar position in their CCAA quarter-final match against Capilano (16-12). Humber has one of the best records in the nation in the opening round, and the Hawks proved that history does indeed repeat itself, beating the Blues 86-81. Taujh Motiki-Stephens was the player of the game, scoring 12 and adding six offensive rebounds. Malik Grant was exceptional, putting the team on his back with 20 points and nine rebounds. Kwabena Antwi was essential in the final quarter; he had 14 on the day and added three assists.  

Game Recap

The Hawks got off to a good start to begin the game, using a 9-2 run to jump out quickly in the first five minutes, but Capilano would quickly respond with an 8-0 run of their own. The teams stayed even through the stretch of the quarter, but Capilano took over in the final minutes, going on a 10-4 run to end the quarter leading 25-20.

It was more bad news early in the second as Capilano started the quarter on a 5-0 run, quickly building a double-digit lead. The Hawks weren't backing down, but the Blues were nearly perfect from beyond the arc, scoring 15 points off threes in the opening 15 minutes and held a 35-22 point lead.

That's when the comeback started. It started with a Malik Grand and-one bucket, then points from Jalen Menzies, Adrian Aluyi, and more from Grant. After a 15-2 run, Adrian Aluyi would tie the game with an emphatic dunk. The Hawks had scaled their early mountain.

The squads traded baskets down the stretch, but Capilano would go into halftime with a four-point edge, leading 47-43. The story of the half was from behind the arc, with Capilano going six-for-13 from deep, while Humber missed all nine of its attempts.

Capilano struck first in the third, taking a six-point lead that the Blues would maintain for the majority of the quarter.  The Hawks were clawing and scratching at that six-point lead, going bucket-for-bucket with the Blues all quarter long. Humber would trail by four, 66-62 after thirty minutes of action.

Back for the fourth quarter, Humber bent but didn't break. The three-pointers finally started to fall, and Humber closed Capilanos' six-point lead time and time again, but the Blues responded each time.

Trailing 75-72 with less than four minutes remaining, Malik Grant shook his defender at the top of the arc, draining the tying three-pointer, his 19^th point of the night.

Now tied 81-81 with 30 seconds left, and with Romeo Osas-Joshua standing at the line shooting two, drama was the only option. Osas-Joshua nailed both, giving Humber a two-point lead. The Hawks got the stop on the other end. Capilano intentionally fouled, and Malik Grant added another from the line. It's 84-81 Humber, with five seconds left. 

Capilano chucked up a deep three, but it was way off, and the Hawks would go on to win, 86-81

After trailing by 12, resilience was the story of the evening for Humber. They bent but didn't break, gave in but didn't give up, and the Hawks' Gold medal dreams are still alive.

Post-game, Taujh Motiki-Stephens had few words for the Vanier Cheetahs. 

"We'll be waiting."

Humber Highlights

• The Hawks are now 18-6 all-time in the CCAA quarter-final round.
• Humber is now 3-0 against Capilano.
• The last time Humber faced Capilano was in the 2022 CCAA quarter-finals. That '22 Hawks team would win Nationals.
• Humber's first victory against Capilano came in the 2003 CCAA bronze medal match. Capilano has never won a CCAA medal.

What's Next?

Humber will face host Vanier College in the semifinal on Thursday, March 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Humber is 11-7 all-time in the CCAA semifinal round and 1-1 against Vanier at the national tournament. The Hawks are also 5-3 at nationals when playing the host.