Eagles Defend the Nest, Taking Home Both Championships in OCR Tournament Action
UTM basketball brought home a pair of tournament trophies on home court and are hoping to carry momentum into the league.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were in action on Friday, January 17, playing host to rival colleges in the annual Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) Tournament. In their first games since the winter break, both teams were looking to start the semester strong.
Men’s Show Dominance on Route to Championship
It was a full team effort for the men’s team on tournament day, opening the day with an 8:15am game vs Seneca College – York. After a slow start, they found their rhythm. Hitting open cutters, knocking down shots, and causing havoc on the defensive end, they cruised to a 46-28 victory to start the tournament.
Game 2 drew a tougher opponent in King’s University College from London. From early on, the game was fast-paced, with both teams trading buckets through the first half. The Eagles took momentum in the second half thanks to strong play inside from forward Elijah Steiner. Jumping out to a double-digit lead, the Eagles stayed strong despite a late push from King’s, winning the matchup and finishing first place in their pool.
Moving to the semifinals, the Eagles were up against an athletic Laurier Brantford squad. Strong defense out the gate helped the Eagles establish early dominance, looking to establish a paint presence with big man Andreas Jankovic. As the Eagles cleaned up the glass on both ends of the floor, Laurier had limited answers. In the end, the Eagles showed to be too much for the Golden Hawks as the Eagles moved on to the championship.
In the finals, the men’s team faced off against a scrappy Sheridan College team. The Bruins came out on fire, hitting a few early three’s and getting some easy baskets in transition. Despite early foul trouble, the Eagles stayed composed. Captains Evan Mowder and Amro Matti controlled the floor, getting to their spots and setting up their teammates. Eagles Guard Mene Eruotor was a leader on the defensive end, communicating and getting timely steals. Despite a strong effort from Sheridan, the Eagles defended home court capturing their fourth straight OCR Tournament Championship.
Mowder commented after the game that “[he was] proud of the team. It was a long day, but to come away with the championship…there’s no better feeling.”
Women’s Second Take on Victory
The second OCR tournament presented a golden opportunity for the UTM women’s basketball team, and they came out with energy and determination right from the start.
In their first game against the Seneca Sting, the women’s team worked together seamlessly, applying full-court pressure throughout much of the game, generating multiple offensive chances. After securing the win, they were filled with confidence and a renewed belief that the championship was within reach.
In their second game, motivated by the prospect of making it to the championship, the team delivered another strong performance, defeating George Brown and positioning themselves favorably in the tournament. However, the first two games were just stepping stones—what lay ahead would be their real test.
In the previous OCR tournament, the UTM women fell short of the championship by a single point, losing to Humber in the final. This time, facing Humber in round-robin play gave the Eagles the chance to show how much they had improved.
Throughout the tournament, the team was led by captain Fathema Shaikh, whose leadership was instrumental. She motivated the players to maintain strong defensive play and was a consistent force on offense, scoring crucial points.
Despite their best efforts, the UTM women came up short again against Humber.
But the story wasn’t over yet.
With the team still ranked second in the tournament bracket, they earned another shot at Humber in the championship game. Thanks to the relentless efforts of Fathema Shaikh and Kaitlin Parsons, the offense was clicking, but it still wasn’t enough to secure the win. The game was an intense back-and-forth battle, with Humber holding a narrow lead for much of the second half. As the fourth quarter came to a close, UTM found themselves ahead 29-25. However, Humber made a big three-pointer, making it 29-28 with less than two minutes to play. In the final seconds, UTM knocked down a crucial free throw, securing the 30-28 win and crowning the 2024-25 UTM women’s basketball team as OCR champions.
