No. 1 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOP NIAGARA, 77-48
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Niagara | 15 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 48 |
|
Humber | 16 | 22 | 27 | 12 | 77 |
Aleena Domingo finished with a season-high 27 points as No. 1 Humber won its 74th consecutive OCAA game.
By Bobby Mihalik
ETOBICOKE, Ont. – In a low-scoring but dominant outing, the Humber Hawks women's basketball team (16-0, 1st West) returned to the North Campus gym and defeated the Niagara Knights (10-6, 5th West) 77-48 Saturday evening.
After a three-point shot from Niagara's Mary Ingribelli opened the scoring, Ceejay Nofuente quickly tied the game back up for the Hawks before the home team took the lead. Holding a seven-point lead with less than two minutes left in the quarter, the Hawks saw their lead diminish as the Knights rallied, scoring six straight unanswered points. The quarter ended with the Hawks holding onto their lead by a single point, with the score 16-15. Jahnae Gyles took charge for the Hawks with five points, though the Hawks would only shoot 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from the field in the first.
Eager to re-establish their lead, the Hawks began the second quarter by scoring nine straight points, taking control of the game. The Knights would fight back, gradually narrowing the Hawks' lead down to six points before the Hawks scored three points in the final minute to take a nine-point lead into the second half. The Hawks finished the half at 34.1 percent (14-of-41) shooting from the field, while the Knights went 28.1 percent (9-of-32). Aleena Domingo led the Hawks in scoring in the second with nine points, also shooting perfect from the free-throw line through the half (3-of-3).
The Hawks and the Knights kept pace with each other to start the third, with the Hawks only widening their lead by two halfway into the quarter. The Hawks would then outscore the Knights 13-4 through the remainder of the third, fully taking charge with a 20-point lead by the quarter's end. The Hawks were again led by Domingo, scoring 14 points and landing 70 percent (7-of-10) of her field goals. Felicia Velasquez had three steals and five assists for the Hawks in the third.
The pace of the game would slow dramatically in the fourth quarter, with the Hawks scoring five points through the first four minutes while keeping the Knights off the board. After the Knights scored on a free throw, the Hawks continued their dominance, netting seven straight points and putting the game far out of Niagara's reach. The Hawks capped off their victory by outscoring the Knights 12-3 in the fourth, taking the game 77-48. Six players scored for the Hawks in the fourth, led by three points from Nofuente who went 3 for 4 in free throws.
Despite the low scoring game, Domingo had 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks for her seventh straight double-double. Domingo also had four steals and was named the Hawks Nation Player of the Game after the win.
Nofuente, with 16 points and ten rebounds, also had a double-double for the Hawks. Velasquez led her team in both steals and assists with eight each.
The Knights were led by Ingribelli, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds and netted her team's only three-pointer.
Humber Notes
- For the third straight year, Humber established a new OCAA single-season scoring record. Through 16 games, the Hawks have scored 1,561 points.
- The Hawks were held to their lowest point total this season.
- Humber's 35.7 percent (30-of-84) field goal percentage was its lowest since the season opener on Oct. 22 (34.7 percent).
- Aleena Domingo recorded her seventh straight double-double.
Game Notes
- Humber extends its OCAA win streak to 74 straight games.
- All-time, the Hawks improve to 33-9 against Niagara.
- Head coach Ajay Sharma picked up his 132nd career win with Humber and is now one win away from tying Jim Henderson (1991 - 2000) as the all-time winningest coach in program history.
What's Next
Next in line for the Hawks is U of T Mississauga (5-11, 8th West), in a road matchup on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
