HAWKS DOMINATE SECOND HALF TO ADVANCE TO SEMIS
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Clair | 18 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 37 |
|
Humber | 18 | 18 | 27 | 19 | 82 |
By Bobby Mihalik
Humber Athletics Sports Information
ETOBICOKE, ON. – The No. 1 Humber Hawks women's basketball team (20-0, 1st West) showed their strength against the St. Clair Saints (12-8, 5th West) in the OCAA women's basketball championship quarterfinals Friday afternoon, dominating the second half and claiming victory with a score of 82-37.
After the Saints opened the scoring in the first, a seven-point rally led by Leticia Lopez put the Hawks up by five. Trying repeatedly to build on their lead, the Hawks were faced with a resilient Saints squad, erasing the Hawk's lead three times in the quarter. The Hawks finished the first quarter tied with the Saints 18-18, led offensively by Lopez's five points and converting 42.9 percent (3-of-7) of their three-point shots. Anna Ulicny of the Saints led her team with six points in the first.
Striking quickly in the second, the Hawks regained a four-point lead, only for the Saints to match their efforts and tie the game at 22 apiece. After what had been a reasonably low-scoring quarter, the Hawks erupted in the final three minutes of the half, outscoring the Saints 12-2 and taking a ten-point lead into the second half with a 36-26 score. Aleena Domingo had a fantastic quarter for the Hawks, scoring ten points and three rebounds. The Hawks shot 32.6 percent (14-of-43) from the field through the first half and converted 38.5 percent (5-of-13) of their three-point attempts.
The Hawks started the second half by building on their lead. Led by six straight points from Miea Campbell-Johnson, the Hawks outscored the Saints 13-2 in the first five minutes to increase their lead to 21 points. After the Saints' Jaimi Chauvin converted a three-point shot, the Hawks started rolling again, scoring eight straight points and finishing the quarter with a 32-point lead. Domingo again led the Hawks, adding another eight points in the third as the Hawks shot 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from the field.
With the Saints' offence all but invisible, the Hawks carried their dominant play into the fourth. The Hawks, capitalizing on only six points in the fourth by the Saints, increased their lead to 45 points, winning the match by a score of 82-37. Campbell-Johnson scored eight points for the Hawks in the fourth, shooting 80 percent (4-of-5) from the field, while Ceejay Nofuente had three rebounds.
The Hawks finished the game shooting 39.5 percent (34-of-86) from the field, versus the Saints' 21.1 percent (15-of-71). The Hawks also converted 60 percent (6-of-10) of their free-throw attempts.
Domingo, who was named the Player of the Game for the Hawks, finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Campbell-Johnson and Lopez had 14 and 13 points each, while Nofuente led the Hawks in rebounds (12) and steals (7).
The Saints were led in scoring by Jana Kucera, who finished with 14 points and ten rebounds for a double-double and was named the Player of the Game for St. Clair.
With the victory, the Hawks advance to the semi-finals of the OCAA championship, where they will face the Mohawk Mountaineers. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
