By: Kajan Thiruthanikasalam

SCARBOROUGH, ONT. - A trip to the 2019 OCAA Men's Basketball Championships at Georgian College is at stake for both the Centennial Colts (11-9) and the Redeemer Royals (13-7) as they square off in Ancaster, Ont., in tomorrow afternoon's crossover match for a chance to prolong their seasons for another day.

Both teams finished in fourth place in their respective conferences but could be any more different, with Redeemer's offensive firepower and Centennial's defensive intensity. With that being said, here is a quick look at the two teams.

ABOUT CENTENNIAL

It has been a season of ups and downs for this year's Centennial Colts in which they alternated wins and losses through the second half of the season. The underlying issue for Centennial throughout the season was their inconsistency, playing well against great teams but struggling against teams under .500.

However, despite all of that, this young team is on the brink of advancing to provincials.

The Colts ranked in the top five in the OCAA in made free throws (15.3; 4th), turnovers per game (12.8; 3rd), and points per game allowed (73.3).

Centennial is led by first year guard/forward Kyrin Henlin, who paced the Colts per game in scoring (14.1), rebounding (7.4), steals (1.3) and blocks (1.6) during the regular season. His two-way play was on full display throughout as he, as well as his teammates, were forced to adjust to various roles due to injury.

The confines of the Athletic and Wellness Centre led the Colts to a 7-3 home record but they were inconsistent on the road, finishing just 4-6 on that portion of the season.

The highlight of their season thus far came at home in the second game of the season in which Henlin hit a triple with a second left to propel Centennial to a 72-71 upset over the Seneca Sting, snapping a lengthy regular season winning streak for Seneca.

ABOUT REDEEMER

The Royals were one win away last year from making their first ever appearance at nationals as well as a medal at provincials after a historic regular season in which they were named OCAA West Division champions and had a 19-1 record. However, that dream was dashed after a loss in the semifinals to the Humber Hawks (84-75), followed by another to the Sheridan Bruins (119-84) in the bronze medal game.

Redeemer, known for their high-octane offense, reached the century mark seven times this season and they ranked in the top five in the OCAA in points (93.5; 5th), field goal percentage (45.0; 3rd), three point percentage (33.0; 3rd), free throws attempted (24.5; 3rd), made free throws (17.8; 2nd) and for the second straight year, first in free throw percentage (72.7).

The Royals have four players who have averaged double digit scoring this season, led by fourth year centre Spencer Kerssies (17.9). Kerssies also led his team in rebounding (13.3), which also led the OCAA, and blocked shots (1.9).

Redeemer finished with a sparkling 8-1 record at home but were a middling 5-6 on the road. Their most notable moment of the season came on February 9, when they ended Humber's bid for a perfect season with a resounding 106-74 win at home.

INTANGIBLES

Home Court Advantage

• Redeemer has been nothing short of spectacular at home with an 8-1 record and scored 98.4 ppg. The crowd's noise level will be nothing short of deafening tomorrow afternoon; it's like a sixth man for the Royals.

Rising to the Challenge Against Quality Opponents

• In their most recent game against Seneca, they played at Newnham Campus, a place where the Sting had margins of victory that were over 40 in six games. But the Colts played with grit and fell by just four (70-66) to the Sting in front of a raucous crowd.

• Another one of their notable victories came when they snapped the Algonquin Thunder's seven game winning streak in the last game of the first half of the season. Centennial has been known to rise to the occasion; another one of those efforts needs to be in store against a hot-shooting Royals team.

Rebounding Battle

• Second chance opportunities will be key in swinging the momentum towards either team. Keeping Kerssies off of the glass as well as Redeemer will be key for Centennial as the Royals rank sixth in rebounding per game (46.0) while the Colts rank 15th (38.4).

Taking Care of the Ball

• As well as the offense has flowed for Redeemer, turnovers have been a major issue for them as they've committed the third most amongst OCAA teams with 19.8. Meanwhile, Centennial's ability to take care of the ball during the regular season resulted in 12.8 turnovers per game, which was the third least in the province. One team's ability to not cough away the ball tomorrow will determine who moves on.

COLT X-FACTOR

Quinton Paul

• Paul's drastic improvement from role player off of the bench to starter has been nothing short of remarkable as the first year guard's play on the defensive end continues to give the Colts a much-needed boost.

• His ability to get to the rim and draw fouls consistently has been tremendous on the offensive side of things for Centennial, resulting in a career high 18 point effort on February 7 against the Fleming Knights.

• Paul's free throw shooting leaves a lot to be desired, however, shooting just 46.7 per cent from the charity stripe. However, in his last two games, he combined to hit 75 per cent of his freebies (9-12). That, combined with his solid two-way play, will be a major factor for Centennial.

GAME TIME

The matchup between Centennial and Redeemer is at 2:00pm at the Royals Gymnasium in Ancaster, Ont. Come on out Colts fans and support your team as they look to head to provincials.

A win for Centennial tomorrow would be their first in the postseason since February 23, 2013, when they defeated the Niagara Knights, 76-70, in their crossover game at home.