The Humber Hawks’ women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to five games after a 69-59 win over the Lambton Lions on Jan. 24.
This game against the Lions was the first of a back-to-back for the Hawks, with the second against the St. Clair Saints on the Jan.25 postponed due to weather conditions.
Humber came into the game with a 9-2 record and ranked third in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
Lambton hoped to find some late season momentum, winning just three of their last 10, sitting in seventh, two wins ahead of Sheridan in eighth, and outside the top ten in the OCAA rankings.
These teams saw each other earlier in the season, with Humber also victorious in a tight 55-51 match in Sarnia.
Before the game, Hawks head coach Ceejay Nofuente gave credit to the young Lambton team, and head coach Janine Day.
“They have a great coach and I think even though you have a young team, if your coach can keep you in the game and motivate you and even just continue to work on what you've been working on, it'll always be a good game,” she said.
Nofuente said the home-court advantage would aid them in hopefully improving their performance compared to the first game against the Lions.
Day said her key to beating Humber was to have a better game shooting the ball compared to the first matchup.
“I think the scoring was a little lacking, it was low scoring for both teams,” she said. “Our D plan will stay the same, but in terms of scoring better, it has to happen in order to have a chance to win.”
The first quarter was back and forth between the two teams, exchanging physical drives to the basket and three pointers.
The clear factor for Humber was four-time OCAA All-Academic and reigning Defensive Player of the Year guard Sarah Baptie scoring 10 of the Hawks’ 21 points in the quarter, shooting a perfect 3-3 with two three pointers.
Lambton controlled the second quarter, with guard Maddy Bishop making three from distance and Humber missing all six of their attempts but the Hawks kept the lead going to halftime.
After the break, the Hawks adjusted to the Lions’ quick movement with aggressive and consistent defensive stops and rebounding, forcing seven turnovers and grabbing 11 boards to Lambton’s six in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was very chippy between the two teams, with both receiving five or more personal fouls.
Humber was able to contain Lambton’s Bishop to only 14 points on 4-15 shooting with four turnovers, and guard Simone Wilson to 13 points on 6-15 shooting with six turnovers and in foul trouble with five.
Nofuente said although they won, they could’ve played better.
“Not to our potential. I think we went away from our defensive principles, didn't follow scout, and missed a lot of free throws,” she said.
Nofuente said the game went in their favour when they started making the proper adjustments.
“Not looking for calls. I felt like when we started being a little bit more aggressive on the offensive end, we started finishing through contact and then that was the game,” she said.
Baptie, who finished with a team-high 24 points, tying her career-high, agreed with Nofuente.
“They put up a good fight, but there's definitely a lot we can improve on,” she said. “I don't think we showed up as well as we could have, I think the cold might have got to us a little bit.”
Day was proud of her team being able to keep it close against tough opponents this season.
“I'm happy, like I said before, where we were and where we've come, we're competing with the top teams now and that's what we need heading into the last stretch of the season,” she said.
Lambton was able to keep it within seven against the number-one-ranked, undefeated Mohawk Mountaineers at home on Jan. 16.
Day said every game gives her hope for the future with the experience the young players are getting.
“Some of our guards aren't used to maybe the physicality and the pressure, playing in a gym like this, but I think that's something that can only change over time,” she said. “So, hopefully we take that moving into next year also, because we're young.”
Both teams now await a rescheduled date to be announced for their next games, Humber facing the Saints of St. Clair, while Lambton travels to Sheridan to face the Bruins.
