Kajan Thiruthanikasalam (Sports Writer, Colts Athletics)
SCARBOROUGH, ONT.- It was what to be expected as the Durham Lords and Centennial Colts battled it out at the Athletic and Wellness Centre in a game that was hotly contested and a grind-it-out affair which went to overtime.
Unfortunately, for the Colts (7-10), they fell on the losing end of that battle as they fell to the Lords (9-8), 72-63, in what was the last game of the regular season. Durham closed out overtime on a 10-0 run, aided by back to back triples from Alyssa Navarro and Maddie Dender, as the Lords ended the regular season on a three game winning streak.
Navarro and Victoria Brody led Durham with 12 points each off of the bench while Dender and Dekota Kirby each had 10; Kirby also dished out a game high 11 assists and had three steals.
Yasmeen Smith led all players with 15 points and 21 rebounds off of the bench, 12 of those rebounds were on the offensive glass, before fouling out early in overtime. Bethany Miller hit four triples and finished with 12 points while Mariam Konate had 11 and dished out a career high nine assists.
Kirby had five first quarter points as Durham built an early eight point lead before a buzzer beater from Michelle Beloso ultimately cut the lead to 19-13 after one. Konate and Meagan Manalo each had four points in the first quarter for the Colts.
Beloso's basket sparked a 15-0 run to start off the second quarter, capped off by back to back triples from Miller and Judy Ta as Centennial took their largest lead of the game at 26-19. Smith provided a spark in the second quarter, with eight points and eight rebounds, but Durham closed out the first half with seven consecutive points as they led 33-30 at intermission.
Both teams, for most of the third quarter, played back and forth as a jumper from Konate cut the Durham lead to one (41-40) but the Lords responded with a 8-2 run to close out the quarter, capped off by a steal and layup from Emily Chamberlain as they took a 49-42 lead, heading into the final frame.
The Lords still held a five point lead with three minutes to go in the game before the Colts scored six in a row as they took their first lead of the second half at 58-57. The last two baskets saw Konate twice drive to the paint and feed a cutting Karmealia Turner for layups. On the next possession, however, Turner injured her right knee and had to be taken out of the game; she did not return.
Centennial forced a turnover from Durham and had a chance to extend the lead but Navarro stole the ball from Konate and subsequently got fouled, but she split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 58. Smith then dribbled the ball off her foot out of bounds, giving Durham a chance to take the lead but Miller blocked a layup attempt from Brody and ran down the court with the ball, looking to win the game. But Brody got her revenge, blocking a three point heave from Miller as time ran out, giving the fans five extra minutes of basketball.
Both teams split the first eight points of overtime (62-62) before a free throw from Konate gave the Colts a 63-62 lead. It would be the last point that Centennial would score, however, as consecutive triples from Navarro and Dender gave Durham the lead for good. Navarro then got a steal and layup before Brody hit a layup to end the scoring.
HIGHLIGHTS
Poor shooting haunted Centennial for much of this game as they shot 26.4 per cent (24-91) from the field, 20.8 per cent (5-24) from three, and missed 19 free throws, going 34.5 per cent (10-29) from the charity stripe. And even though Durham shot 31.1 per cent (32-103) from the field, they took 12 more shots from forcing Centennial into 32 turnovers, leading to 18 points off of those giveaways.
The Colts did outrebound the Lords, 71-62, including a 31-22 edge on the offensive glass.
Before the game, the team, led by head coach Justin Bobb, honoured senior guard Turner as she played her final home game as a Colt. Turner is graduating with a degree in fitness and health promotion.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR CENTENNIAL
Centennial ended the regular season on a three game losing streak and finished in sixth place in the OCAA East with a 7-10 record. They play their crossover on the road against the Mohawk Mountaineers (who finished third in the OCAA West) in Hamilton, Ont, with the winner advancing to the 2018 OCAA Championships at Humber College. The time and date for the game, however, has not yet been determined.