Windsor, ON – The path for glory at the OCAA Championships for No. 11 nationally ranked Mohawk Mountaineers men's basketball won't be an easy one as they open tournament play versus the conference defending champion Humber Hawks.
Hosted by St. Clair College in Windsor, ON, the Championship quarter-final round will open with the Mountaineers and Hawks battling it out at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed on OCAA Live.
The Matchup:
Prior to winning their OCAA crossover round playoff game, both Mohawk and Humber entered postseason play on a losing streak. The Mountaineers had lost their final two games of the regular season, while the Hawks took losses in their final three.
Mohawk finished the season with a 14-4 record and the best offense in the conference, averaging 98.9 points per game and shooting a league-best 35 per cent from three. The Mountaineers beat the Algonquin Wolves in the opening round of playoffs 96-77.
Humber has had an up and down season after capturing the OCAA Championship last season, their fourth consecutive trip to the gold medal game. The Hawks have played in the championship game in six of the last seven seasons.
In 2022-23 they finished the regular season with a 9-9 record. Humber's season did include a four-game win stream that included a victory over the OCAA West division first seed St. Clair Saints. The Hawks defeated the Seneca Sting 83-56 last weekend to begin playoffs.
Playoff History:
An opportunity to play in the OCAA Championship tournament has been a long-time coming for the Mountaineers program and will be a first for every athlete on the roster except one. Mohawk hasn't played in the conference tournament since the 2015-16 season.
As mentioned above Humber has been consistently part of the OCAA Championship game. Their success has dated back to the 2004-05 season, having won seven of the last 17 provincial championships.
What Happened Last Time:
This season has been the first time in awhile the Mountaineers have had success against the Hawks. Mohawk won both games during this campaign, the first in November by a score of 83-80 and then again in January 96-72.
However, prior to this season and dating back to the January 20, 2016, the Mountaineers had lost 11 of 12 to the Hawks, including the 2016 OCAA Championship game – the last time the two played in a playoff game against each other.
What's Next:
A win over Humber will put Mohawk in position to play the winner between the George Brown Huskies and Niagara Knights on March 4 at 4 p.m.
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