By Marcus Rebelo
Women's basketball: Playoff Preview - February 29 vs. Lambton Lions
If both the Centennial women’s and men’s basketball programs want to advance to the OCAA provincials, they must first prevail on the road in their playoff crossover matchup.
The Colts (6-10), who finished the season fifth in the OCAA East, take on the Lambton Lions Saturday at 2 p.m.
Centennial had alternated between wins and losses since a Nov. 20 loss to the Durham Lords, but 70-65 comeback victory over the UTM Eagles on Feb. 18 had the Colts post back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
In their regular season finale last Friday, the Colts were unable to extend their winning streak to three games, after a 54-50 loss to the Seneca Sting.
“We have a lot of freshman on our team and first year players could be up and down,” said Colts’ head coach Justin Bobb following the game. “I think you saw a glimpse of our potential and you saw the team we can be.”
The emergence of Keyanna Hyatt and Cori Browne as serious threats on the offensive end gives the Colts a more consistent scoring threat.
The pair combined for 42 points in their Feb.18 victory over the Eagles including a game-high four threes for Hyatt.
Browne played all 40 minuets in the contest and led Centennial scorers with 22 points.
“She’s (Browne) an elite scorer,” said Bobb. “I think she’s at her best when she gets to the rim and the free throw line and attacking the basket.”
Beyonce Hosang adds an interior threat to the Colts offensive attack. The first-year forward averaged 8.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per-game during the regular season.
Against the Sting, Hosang displayed the full arsenal of her game. Hosang notched a team-high 17 points and added 12 rebounds in an outstanding performance in the paint.
If the Colts want to book their ticket to Windsor where St. Clair college will play host to the provincial tournament, they will need the strong play of Hyatt, Browne, Hosang and senior Judy Ta.
The Lions finished fourth in the OCCA West and were led by Cassidy Crowe. Crowe, a second-year guard led Lambton with 14.2 PPG and led the OCAA in blocks this season with 33.
With eight freshman, the Colts are hoping to find consistency in their game with little room for error in an one-and-done playoff tilt for a chance to advance to the OCAA provincial tournament.
Men's basketball: Playoff Preview - February 29 vs. Redeemer Royals
On the men’s side, the Colts will face off against the OCAA West top-ranked Redeemer Royals Saturday at 7 p.m.
Centennial (10-10) had an opportunity to clinch a home playoff date but stumbled in their last three games of the regular season following a three-game winning streak.
The first of three losses to close out the season came on the road against the Georgian Grizzlies. The Colts were chasing the Grizzlies for the coveted fourth spot in the division but were beaten 86-73 by the hosts.
With their slim hopes of hosting of a post season matchup still alive, the Colts lost their first home game of the season 89-85 to the UTM Eagles, and thus eliminated their chances of post season play on home-court.
Second-year guard Kyrin Henlin has led Centennial offensively this season with 16.1 points per-game. Henlin's career-high 36 points led the Colts to a dramatic 99-96 comeback victory over the Loyalist Lancers on Jan 31. The Pickering, Ont., native took home OCAA athlete of the week honours for his performance.
Henlin would match that performance in Centennial’s thrilling regular season finale against the Seneca Sting. Henlin equalled his career-high with 36 points on four threes, and shot 10-of-20 from the field in the 92-89 loss to the Sting.
“I’m seeing the game better and I feel really good,” Henlin said, post-game. “It’s great because I’ve been putting in a lot of work in practice.”
The emergence of interior scoring from senior Dieu Merci (DM) Betoukoumessou will need to be present Saturday if the Colts are to advance to the OCAA provincial tournament, which will be hosted by Lambton College.
Betoukoumessou had 15 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists against the Sting, which nearly completed an 18-point comeback for the Colts.
The six-foot-eight centre follows right behind Henlin in Centennial scoring after averaging 12 PPG during the regular season. Betoukoumessou also averaged 8.6 rebounds per-game and his 58.3 field-goal percentage ranked fifth in the OCAA this season.
When Henlin spoke post-game following the loss to Seneca, Centennial’s matchup with Redeemer still was not determined, but the belief from Henlin and his team couldn’t be questioned.
“If we play hard, stick together and stick to the game plan, we can win against anybody. Me, personally, I feel really confident and I think the mood in the locker room is great. Nobody is really down. This week, in practice, we’re going to work hard and try to win this playoff game.”