No. 10 Women's Basketball downs Fanshawe, 66-51

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE - No. 10 Humber women's basketball (11-2, 2nd West) returned for a hard-fought victory against Fanshawe (6-5, 5th West) on Saturday, beating the Falcons 66-51 at home. After trailing for almost three quarters, Humber took a one-point lead with seconds to spare in the third and never looked back. Sarah Baptie was the player of the game for Humber, scoring 15 and adding eight rebounds. Kia Watt also had a fantastic game, putting up a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. 

Game Recap

The Hawks spent most of the afternoon trailing Fanshawe on Saturday. Humber spent its first quarter failing to produce offence. The Hawks struggled to cycle the ball and found themselves up against the shot clock four times over the course of the first ten minutes. 

The Falcons used their speed to cut passing lanes and pressure Humber's outside shooters. The solid defensive scheme would hold Humber to just 16 points opposed to Fanshawe's 22. Humber wasn't all doom and gloom, though. The back end of the first quarter was mostly positive, with Maezell Del Mundo splashing two dramatic threes to keep Humber close and Kia Watt putting up a solid two-way quarter. 

Even after a decent end to the first, Humber struggled in the second quarter. The Hawks' best friend was the fast break, but Humber struggled to turn defence into speed instead of opting for slower zone entries. Fanshawe continued to pressure defensively, forcing Humber to take low-percentage shots and waste clock cycling the ball. 

Fanshawe wasn't pulling away, but the Hawks weren't pulling closer, either. The half would end with Fanshawe leading 36-33. 

Clutch three-pointers from Kia Watt, Maezell Del Mundo, and Marian Martin pulled Humber to within one deep in the third quarter. In the final minute, Kia Watt would tie the game with a free throw. After three clutch defensive stops, Sarah Baptie would give Humber a 47-46 point lead off a pair of free throws with just six seconds left in the quarter. Humber would finish the third leading 47-46, its first lead since the opening buckets of the game.

Humber started the quarter with a 7-0 run, forcing a Fanshawe timeout just 1:30 into the quarter. Kia Watt and Sarah Baptie were revelations, forcing turnover after turnover and converting everything into offence.

The timeout would do nothing for Fanshawe; Humber continued its incredible run, scoring 12 straight points and holding Fanshawe pointless for the first six minutes of the quarter.

With a 62-48 lead, Humber had successfully scaled the mountain. The Hawks had come back after trailing for the first thirty minutes of play and now held a commanding double-digit lead.

Fanshawe was clearly frustrated, and both teams turned up the physical play. Beverly Omere fought through contact for a tough lay. On the other end, Persia Martin-Brown emphatically stuffed Fanshawe Joanna Smith under the rim, getting the crowd and Humber's bench on their feet. The score was now 66-51.

Humber's lead was more than enough for the win. Fanshawe was demoralized and beaten in a game they had led for the majority of. Humber had dominated the fourth, outscoring Fanshawe 19-5. Sarah Baptie and Kia Watt combined for 12 in the quarter. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber is now 54-22 all-time against Fanshawe. The Hawks are also 23-9 at home against the Falcons.
• Humber is now a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
• Humber leads the OCAA in offensive rebounds, averaging 48.5 rebounds per game.
• Humber owns the best offence in the OCAA West, averaging 68.4 ppg.
• Humber averages more steals than any other team in the West Division, averaging 12.7 steals per game. 

What's Next?

No. 10 Humber will face Conestoga (1-10, 9^th West) on Wednesday, January 22 at The Hawks Nest. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM and you can catch the action live on the Hawks Sports Network.