No. 11 Women's Basketball downs No. 1 Algonquin to earn spot in gold medal game

By: Thiago Neuenschwander
Humber Athletics Communications

OTTAWA - The pursuit of the 13th Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) provincial title remains alive for the No. 11 women's basketball team in the country. In a hard-fought game marked by low offensive efficiency, the Hawks defeated the Algonquin Wolves 57-43 at the Jack Doyle Athletics Centre in Ottawa. CeeJay Nofuente's squad will now face the Mohawk Mountaineers this Saturday (March 1st) at the same venue in the tournament's gold medal game. The Mountaineers had previously won the first semifinal of the night, beating the Fanshawe Falcons 69-60.

The game started with numerous mistakes from both teams, as Humber and Algonquin seemed to feel the weight of reaching the big final. From the first minutes, the Hawks showed they were determined to spoil the hosts' party. Fearlessly, they advanced their defence and pressured the Wolves into committing several errors and turnovers. The strategy would have been perfect if not for the offensive struggles that prevented Humber from capitalizing on their defensive efforts.

Despite attempting a variety of plays, from short-range shots to three-pointers, the ball simply refused to go in. Fortunately, Algonquin faced the same difficulties, failing to reward their passionate crowd, which supported them non-stop. As a result, the first quarter ended with a mere 9-7 lead for Humber, reflecting the overall poor shooting performance.

The second quarter continued the same, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. No matter how hard they tried, poor shooting remained the main obstacle. Kia Watt and Marley Bonnick were the most active Navy and Gold players on offence, but even they couldn't establish their usual dominance.

In the final minutes of the second quarter, Algonquin started to find some offensive solutions, thanks to key plays by Sydney Moore and Meaghan McNamara. They took the lead before halftime at 18-16. Up to that point, both teams had identical shooting percentages, hitting only 17.9% of their field goals (5 of 28).

After the break, the hosts came out determined to change the narrative from the first half. East Division Player of the Year, Dasia McDonald, finally made an impact, scoring four points in quick plays within the first few minutes. Humber seemed lost, while Algonquin steadily extended their lead, reaching a dangerous 26-18 advantage.

At that moment, when things looked grim, Kia Watt stepped up—finishing the game with a double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds). The second-highest scorer in Humber's history strung together a series of layups that brought the Hawks back into contention. The third quarter ended in a frenzy, with Algonquin still ahead. But then, the ball found veteran Sarah Baptie, who nailed a deep three-pointer from the corner to give Humber the lead once again, 34-32.

With such a tight contest, it was clear that the game would be decided by details. The fourth quarter saw constant lead changes, with nerves running high and the Wolves desperate to maintain their undefeated season. But that was when the Navy and Gold showed their true strength. In the game's crucial moments, the veterans took charge. Baptie, Bonnick, and Watt led Humber's offensive push, steadily breaking down Algonquin's defence.

In a last-ditch effort, the Wolves launched a desperate offensive attack. That's when guard Marian Martin shined, sinking a deep three-pointer to extend the lead to seven points. Shortly after, Baptie made a layup under the basket, stretching the advantage to nine and forcing Algonquin to call a timeout. With 1:13 left on the clock, there was no time for a comeback. The Hawks controlled the game, ran down the clock, and sealed the victory. With a spot in the awaited final secured, the team now sets its sights on the gold medal for one more time.

Humber Highlights

• With the win, Humber extended their all-time record against Algonquin to 13-9.
• Rookie head coach CeeJay Nofuente has the chance to secure her first championship as a coach after a record-breaking playing career with the Hawks.
• The women's basketball team has reached the gold medal game six times in the last ten years.
• Hawks and Mountaineers faced each other twice during the regular season, with each team securing one victory.
• This will be the sixth OCAA women's basketball final between Humber and Mohawk, with the Hawks winning four of the previous five matchups.

What's Next?

Humber Hawks and Mohawk Mountaineers will face off this Saturday at 5 PM at the Jack Doyle Athletics & Recreation Centre in Ottawa to determine the OCAA season champion. The game will be streamed live on OCAA Live.