The gold standard: Men's Basketball crowned CCAA national champions

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

SAINT LAURENT - Humber men's basketball (24-1) completed its historic season on Saturday, defeating the Durham Lords (23-2), 76-70, in another incredible comeback to win its eighth CCAA Championship. Adrian Aluyi was the player of the game and rose to the occasion on the biggest stage, recording a career-high 31 points and adding 12 rebounds for the double-double. Malik Grant followed with 11 points, adding two steals and was named the tournament MVP.

Game Recap

After Humber's perfect season came to an end in the provincial championship game to Durham, the Hawks were looking for redemption on the biggest stage after watching the Lords dance on their logo less than two weeks ago.

Humber finally got the quick start it had been looking for all tournament long. The Hawks got out to a fast 6-1 lead thanks to back-to-back Jalen Menzies layups. Humber spent the rest of the quarter holding that all-important five-point lead.

The Hawks stayed ahead through the stretch, but Durham would go on an 8-2 run late in the quarter, taking a 17-16-point lead.

Durham kept its lead through the final minutes, eventually taking the quarter 20-16 and leaving Humber trailing for the seventh quarter this tournament.

Coming into the second, Humber's offence stalled, much as it had throughout the tournament. Durham slowly built a lead, but the Hawks were playing impressive, pressure-focused defence and limited the damage.

Humber was keeping the lead under double-digits, but the clock was ticking. With less than three minutes to go in the half, the Hawks trailed 29-21; not an insurmountable challenge, but certainly not where they wanted to be.

A pair of Adrian Aluyi free throws would get the Hawks within eight, but Humber would go into halftime trailing 35-27.

Back for the second half, Humber couldn't buy a bucket. The Hawks were shooting 25 per cent from the field and hadn't sunk a shot from beyond the arc, but still, they fought for every possession.

Adrian Aluyi was the bright spot through three quarters. The third-year forward had 22 points after 30 minutes of play, but the Hawks still trailed, 55-48.

Now, in the fourth and final quarter of its season, Humber trailed the Lords by nine. This Hawks team had come back twice this tournament in the fourth quarter. They had trailed for nine of the 11 quarters they'd played and had somehow been an underdog all tournament long. The 'cardiac kids' continued to dig deep and never wavered, proving why they were the top-ranked program in the nation.

Six minutes left, down seven.

Adrian Aluyi hits an and-one layup to bring the Hawks within four. His 31 points are already a career-high. Menzies is the second-highest scorer. He's got seven.

Back down the court, Malik Grant kicks it to Kameron David in the corner… bang. With five minutes left, the Hawks trail by one, 63-62. The Humber faithful in the stands go crazy, igniting the Hawks on defence.

Another stop, down the court. Malik Grant steps through a defender and chucks a three off one foot. It's good. The Hawks lead 65-63. The Hawks lead for the first time since the opening quarter. 

The flurry of offence would prove to be enough. Malik Grant's highlight-reel three-pointer was the dagger, and Humber held onto its lead for the remaining minutes, making your Humber Hawks the 2025 CCAA Champions with a final score of 76-70. They had gotten their revenge on the Lords and proven they were champions. 

Adrian Aluyi and Jalen Menzies were named to the all-tournament team, while Malik Grant was named the MVP.

Humber Highlights

• Humber captured its eighth CCAA gold medal, three more than Dawson College, who sits second all-time.
• The Hawks are now 9-1 at the tournament during the Coach O era.
• Humber is now 25-7 all-time against Durham; the Hawks are 6-4 in the postseason vs the Lords.
• Men's basketball is now 8-4 all-time in CCAA gold medal games.
• Averaging just 17.7 minutes per game, Adrian Aluyi led the team in scoring at 16.7 PPG - the third-best mark in the CCAA.
• Romeo Osas-Joshua became the 15th player in program history to win two or more national titles.