Back-to-back OCAA titles for No. 7 Women's Basketball

By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications

WELLAND – After Humber women's basketball won 13 straight games to begin the 2022-23 campaign, there was no doubt that the squad was destined for gold. The Hawks overcame every team in their path, and now they sit atop the province with gold medals around their necks.

No. 7 Humber needed overtime to defeat the Lambton Lions, eventually coming out on top to claim the program's 12th provincial title, 66-62.

Brittney English posted a team-high 20 points to go along with ten rebounds, while Kia Watt also recorded a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 boards. Nicole Chateau rounded out Humber's double-digit scorer's finishing with 11 points, while senior Kayah Clarke grabbed 12 rebounds.

Match Recap

Humber entered the OCAA Championship game with one thing on their mind – revenge. Lambton brought the Hawks' 13-game win streak to an end as they handed Humber their only loss of the season. The vengeful Hawks had their focus set on back-to-back championships, and not allowing Lambton to be named provincial champions for the first time in their program's history.

The first quarter got off to a fast-paced start as the teams combined for 11 points in under two minutes. The Lions drained two three balls to put them ahead early, but the Hawks, who were led by Marley Bonnick, stayed on top of their game and only trailed by a single point. After the hot start, both teams went cold on the offensive end until Lambton managed to find their rhythm at the midway mark of the frame. They hurdled ahead to a nine-point lead after an 8-0 run, putting pressure on Humber. The Lions couldn't seem to miss, and they brought a three-possession lead to the second quarter.

The Hawks knew they needed to come out strong in the second quarter. Humber slowly cut into the Lions' lead with a 9-1 run that saw Sarah Baptie drain the Hawks' first three of the game. The defending provincial champions found themselves one possession away from tying the game, but Lambton's tenacity kept them ahead on the scoreboard for most of the quarter. The court tilted in favour of the Hawks after Nicole Chateau drilled a corner three that tied the game. Kia Watt also made a three of her own, but Lambton never gave up the lead, and the gold medal match was knotted at 33 points a side at halftime.

As the third quarter got underway, it was anyone's game, but Humber understood that they needed a better start in the second half to be crowned provincial champions. After Lambton began the quarter on a high note making a deep three, the teams began to trade points. The Lions built on their lead with another three, but a Brittney English and-one kept the Hawks in the game. English also drained a deep three and was on fire in the frame as she led the team in third-quarter points. The quarter ended where it began, as the teams found themselves tied up at 47.

With the gold medal on the line, the Hawks turned on the jets as they knew the fourth quarter would be the most important ten minutes of the season. Brittney English gave the Hawks their first lead of the game early in the quarter with yet another three; however, Humber's lead was short-lived. Lambton came firing back with quick buckets and a laser from beyond the arc, putting them ahead by four points with five minutes to go. Nicole Chateau reignited the Hawks with a corner three that put them one point behind their opponents. English hit her third triple of the match to put Humber up late in the frame. The teams traded the lead as the seconds ticked closer to zero. With 14 seconds left in the game, the scoreboard read 58-58, setting up an exciting finish. Humber had the final possession of the quarter but could not do anything with it, and the gold medal game was headed to overtime.

Kia Watt claimed the first points in the overtime frame for the Hawks, but the Lions answered with a deep three that put them ahead by one. Lambton's aggressive play put them into bonus fouls early in overtime, giving Humber opportunities to gain points from the free throw line with every foul. The Hawks tied the game from the charity stripe, then Nicole Chateau capitalized on an and-one opportunity. Chateau drove to the hoop, hitting the layup after contact, then drilled her free throw to convert the and-one.

With a minute left, Humber found themselves ahead by three. After the Lions failed to cut into the lead with missed free throws, Brittney English came up with a steal on the inbound, finding Kia Watt for a routine layup that sealed Humber's victory. As the buzzer sounded to end the game, the Hawks bench stormed the court to celebrate their OCAA Championship.

Brittney English was named the player of the game and named to the all-tournament team alongside Kayah Clarke. Kia Watt was awarded tournament MVP after being a vital part of the OCAA championship run.

Humber Highlights

• Humber women's basketball has won their 12^th OCAA Championship in program history.
• Head coach Ajay Sharma captured his sixth OCAA Championship in ten seasons with the Hawks.
• The Hawks improve to 12-4 in the OCAA gold medal game.
• Humber's all-time OCAA postseason record now stands at 61-25.

What's Next?

No. 7 Humber will now head to the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championship hosted by Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont. The three-day tournament is set to tip-off on March 16th with quarterfinal matchups.