Women's Basketball rolls Mohawk in 2024 home opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mohawk (3-1, 3-1) | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 57 |
|
Humber (2-1, 2-1) | 13 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 73 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – Playing in front of its home crowd for the first time this season, Humber women's basketball (2-1, 5th West) captured a 73-57 victory over the Mohawk Mountaineers (3-1, 1st West) on Wednesday evening at the Hawks' Nest. After halftime, the Hawks dominated the game, with senior player Kia Watt having another flawless performance on the floor, posting a season-high 25 buckets. At the same time, Sarah Baptie was the defensive highlight, recording five defensive rebounds and a game-high seven steals.
Game Recap
After splitting their first two games of the season for the first time since 2019, the Humber Hawks returned to Etobicoke for their home opener. It was an eventful night as this marked coach Ceejay Nofuente's debut as head coach at the Hawks' Nest. However, the Hawks faced a formidable challenge, as the top-ranked Mohawk Mountaineers arrived undefeated with a 3-0 record.
The Hawks quickly opened the scoring as Carina Wynter-Josephs forced an early turnover, allowing Beverly Omere to make a layup for the first point of the year at the Nest. Both Humber and Mohawk had a slow start, struggling to convert from beyond the arc, with the score reading Humber up 4-3 after the first five minutes of play. The Hawks continued to push from outside the perimeter, and Marian Martin hit a clutch three-pointer, putting the Hawks up by four. However, Humber was unable to maintain their momentum, shooting just five-for-25 from the floor, allowing the Mountaineers to rally back with a 10-9 run, tying the game at 13-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The Mountaineers returned to the second quarter determined to find a way to penetrate Humber's defence. After failing to score a three-pointer in the first quarter, Mohawk started to play a much more physical game in the paint, going on a 14-9 run to take the lead. With Humber trailing by five points, Omere stepped up and regrouped the Hawks on the floor by clutching four points and narrowing the gap to one. Rookie Persia Martin-Brown then extended the lead with a layup and Sarah Baptie made a crucial steal, converting the layup after the contact and then drilling the free throw. Humber finished the second ahead 32-27.
Senior player Kia Watt came out on fire in the third quarter after an exciting half-time show, during which a fan in the crowd won the OCAA Shoot for $1000 Contest. Following an early corner three-pointer by Omere, Watt took control of the game, commanding the floor with 14 points and helping the Hawks establish a 51-42 lead.
The Mountaineers gave everything they had in the final 10 minutes of play, aiming to maintain their undefeated record. Mohawk initially pressured Humber with a three-point bucket to start the quarter, but the Hawks maintained a clean game, keeping the score gap manageable. Humber never looked back after hitting the 60-point mark, cruising to a 73-57 victory against the top-ranked team in the conference, the Mohawk Mountaineers.
Kia Watt was named the Player of the Game, posting a season-high 29 points and seven rebounds.
Humber Highlights
- Humber improves to 54-19 all-time against Mohawk.
- The Hawks now hold a 25-19 all-time record against the Mountaineers at home.
- This was coach Ceejay Nofuente's first win at home at the helm of Humber.
- Kia Watt sits third in the OCAA with an average of 18.7 points a game.
What's next?
The Hawks will have a week to practice before going to London to take on the Fanshawe Falcons (1-2, 6th West) on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
