The Humber men’s basketball team won its eighth national medal after beating Camosun College in the CCAA bronze medal game on March 16.
Going into the playoffs, the team was riding the adrenaline of winning its 16th OCAA playoff championship. That momentum showed in their first tournament game on March 13 at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., as they beat Mount Saint Vincent College by a score of 104-57, its biggest win margin of the entire season.
Point guard Jalen Menzies was hot, dropping 24 points in 27 minutes of game time, and power forward Malik Grant was balling on both ends of the court, finishing with a double-double, 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The team’s next game was a semi-final matchup on March 14 against Keyano College. The Hawks battled hard but came up short, losing by seven points, 63-56.
Third-year head coach Omar Miles said his team did not play to the level needed to get the win.
“Our offence wasn’t smooth sailing as it typically is, and we just ran into a bigger and better team, a veteran team who were hungry to win a national title,” Miles said.
The Hawks didn’t let the close defeat get into them as they headed into the bronze medal semi-final against Vanier College on March 15.
They won the game by 19 points, with a final score of 80-61.
The big guns showed their power as Menzies scored 33 points, his highest scoring total of the season, while Grant contributed another double-double, scoring 15 points to go along with 13 rebounds.
The team faced Camosun College of Victoria in the bronze medal finals on March 16. Both teams played solidly as the game went back and forth, but the Hawks came up big when it mattered, winning the game 66-58 to take the bronze.
Third-year forward Grant said it feels good coming back home with something to show for the team’s hard work.
“It feels really good honestly,” he said. “Yeah, we fell short but instead of giving up and half-assing that bronze medal game, we still found a way to make something positive out of that tournament. We played our hearts out and that’s all we can really ask for.”
The bronze medal is Humber’s second national medal in the last three years.
Miles said this will not be the last time this Hawks team is in the playoffs because of the reputation it built.
“This is a brand-new team. None of these guys have ever been in this situation,” he said. “Going through this experience has been amazing, and now it’s about sustaining this success going forward.
“We were successful because we built a strong defensive identity,” Miles said.
Grant agreed.
“Offence sells tickets,” he said. “Defence wins championships.”