The Royals were knocked out of Championship contention Friday night with a stunning loss to the Humber Hawks in the OCAA Men's Basketball Semi Final. Redeemer fell to the Hawks 84-75 and will now move on to face the Sheridan Bruins in the Championship Bronze Medal match.
Humber looked to be the better program in the first half, outscoring the Royals 42-28. Entering the break down by fourteen, the OCAA West Division Champion Royals needed to find a way to get back into the game.
For the second straight game the stands were packed with Royals' fans, encouraging their guys not to give up. Redeemer responded positively to their hometown support, slowly chipping away at the Hawk's lead across the second half. During the final minutes of the game, the Royals looked to be sparking a comeback closing the deficit to 5 points. When it mattered most, the Hawks' offense kept the Royals at bay, answering every Redeemer onslaught with points of their own. In the end, Humber's counter-attack proved to be too much for the Royals to come back from.
Redeemer was paced offensively by first year guard Elijah Lostracco. The rookie from Oakville, Ontario posted a game high 30 points in just 29 minutes of floor time. Lostracco's continued success during this year's OCAA Championship will be crucial if the Royals look to bring home a medal for the for time in their program's history.
Player's of the game were awarded to Humber's 4th year guard Curwin Elvis (Brampton, Ont.) and Redeemer's rookie guard Elijah Lostracco.
Redeemer will play for bronze Saturday, March 3rd against the Sheridan Bruins, loser of the other semi-final against Seneca. Tip off is scheduled for 5pm.
