LORDS WIN OCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL GOLD FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1997

ETOBICOKE, Ont. – The fans at the Hawks' Nest in Etobicoke witnessed history on Sunday afternoon. No. 7 Durham Lords upset the nation's top-ranked Humber Hawks with a 67-61 victory to capture the program's second OCAA gold medal.

In the bronze medal match, the No. 4 St. Clair Saints defeated the No. 9 Georgian Grizzlies 100-86 to secure their first bronze medal since 2006.

Match Recaps

Gold Medal Match: No. 1 Humber Hawks (21-1) vs No. 7 Durham Lords (21-1) 61-67

The No. 1 Humber Hawks and the No. 7 Durham Lords took the court, each fighting for the right to be called best in Ontario. Two teams with the best records in the province were meeting for the first and only time this season in the 2025 OCAA Men's Basketball Championship final.

The Hawks' mission was to defend their title and claim a third gold medal in four seasons under head coach Omar Miles. Humber entered the final as the undisputed powerhouse, riding an undefeated season and three dominant playoff victories on their path to gold. On the other hand, the Lords were back to the championship game for the first time since 1997, eager for redemption after last year's semifinal loss to Humber. After upsetting the No. 4 St. Clair Saints in the semifinals, they carried momentum and a hunger for victory. One game. One shot at Ontario supremacy.

The crowd at the Hawks' Nest watched a very physical game from the opening tip, with both teams crowding the paint and making every possession a fight. Jalen Menzies and Kameron David cashed a pair of wing threes to give Humber a slim 10-9 edge with four minutes left. Driving to the rim was no easy task against Durham's towering frontline, led by Rashane Smith, Zach Morries and Mark Stoop, all over six-foot-five. The first quarter ended in a tight 15-12 lead for Humber.

After a contested first quarter, Humber found its rhythm in the second. Third-year player Adrian Aluyi took over on the offensive glass, converting buckets off offensive rebounds as the Hawks opened up an 18-9 run in the first five minutes of play. But just as Humber seemed poised to pull away, their offence cooled off. The Lords capitalized, with Max Voorpool leading the charge, scoring five of the Lords' seven points. At halftime, Humber's lead had narrowed to 35-28.

It seemed that only one team returned to the second half. The Hawks' offence was a nightmare while Durham seized the momentum. Stoop poured in nine points as the Lords took the lead 47-46 to edge ahead at the end of the quarter.

The tension in the fourth quarter was palpable, with every fan on edge as both teams battled fiercely for gold. The Lords surged ahead, taking a five-point lead at 60-55 with 2:46 left, prompting coach Miles to call a timeout. Stoop scored a thunderous dunk off the timeout that set the tone for the rest of the match.

Durham captured the program's second OCAA gold medal with a 67-61 victory.

Both teams now advance to the 2025 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship hosted by the Vanier Cheetahs in Montreal, Que. The championship will take place from March 10 to March 15 at the Vanier College Gymnasium.

Players of the Game
Humber's Jalen Menzies
Durham's Jasean Elliott

Championship All-Stars
Humber's Kwabena Antwi and Adrian Aluyi
Durham's Javade Marne and Jasean Elliott

Championship MVP
Durham's Mark Stoop

Bronze Medal Match: No. 9 Georgian Grizzlies (18-4) vs No. 4 St. Clair Saints (19-3) 100-86

In the bronze medal match, the No. 9 Georgian Grizzlies and the No. 4 St. Clair Saints had one final shot at redemption. The Grizzlies stood one win away from history as they chased their first-ever OCAA medal. On the other side, St. Clair was back to the bronze medal match for the second consecutive year. The Saints were fueled by the sting of last season's loss to Durham. Both teams stepped onto the court looking to place among the province's best.

In the opening quarter, St. Clair set the tone with early three-pointers while holding the Grizzlies to a 25 per cent shooting from the floor. Kyle Brown-Fazekas sparked the three-point parade with a deep three, followed by two corner triples from Jacob Masters and a long-range dagger from Amari Frye, giving the Saints a 24-13 start.

The Grizzlies' offensive struggles continued into the second, going scoreless for the first two minutes of play until Jason Sache cashed a three. The Saints wasted no time responding, as Ethan Reid-Massiah drilled a three to force Georgian head coach Chad Bewley to call a timeout. Though the Grizzlies managed to put up 19 more points on the scoreboard, St. Clair controlled the pace and carried a 50-35 lead into halftime.

Back from the break, the crowd watched both teams embracing a more aggressive approach with shots from beyond the arc. Kevonte Anderson and Alberto Lopez knocked down two threes as Georgian tried to claw back into the game. However, the Saints carried over their first-half shooting rhythm and hit four of 11 from deep to maintain their advantage at 78-54.

In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies made one final push, storming out with a 19-9 run to trim the deficit to 14 at 87-73 with just over three minutes to play. St. Clair struggled with many turnovers as their once comfortable lead began to slip away. But clutch buckets from Brown-Fazekas steadied the Saints and kept them in control.

The Saints secured their first provincial bronze medal since 2006 with a 100-86 win.

Players of the Game
Georgian's Kevonte Anderson
St. Clair's Ethan Reid-Massiah

Championship All-Star
St. Clair's Mazin Tiea

Source: Fernando Bossoes/Humber Hawks

Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/mbb25

Live Webcast: ocaa.live

Saturday, March 1
Semi-Finals
S-F #1: Humber def. Georgian 83-63
S-F #2: Durham def. St. Clair 85-80

Sunday, March 2
Bronze Medal Match
St. Clair def. Georgian 100-86

Gold Medal Match
Durham def. Humber 67-61

- OCAA -

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

For over 50 years, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association has been a dedicated leader in amateur athletics through the provision of quality varsity and recreational athletic opportunities at the collegiate level.

For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com