Another ‘J.R. moment’: Bailey’s last-second bucket lifts Hawks over Ooks

The final few seconds of a 63-63 nailbiter. The opponents, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Ooks of Edmonton, have just nailed a big three-pointer to grab the momentum. For the 2009-10 Humber College Hawks, this is the textbook definition of a J.R. moment.

J.R. Bailey, the six-foot-nine Humber captain, connected on a fade-away basket in the paint with just two seconds remaining Friday afternoon, lifting the Etobicoke, Ont.-based Hawks to a 65-63 victory over the Ooks in a bronze-medal qualifier at the 2010 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association men’s basketball national championship hosted by Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic.

“I thought I had a good matchup. I just tried to get a good shot off,” said Bailey (5th-year post, Toronto). “Because I’m a bit taller, it’s a little bit easier for me to get a decent shot, so that’s why I wanted it. I took it, and luckily, it went in.”

Bailey, who’s winding up his post-secondary career with the Hawks at these CCAA nationals, returned to Humber this season after a four-year absence, which included two years on the hardcourt with the Guelph Gryphons (Canadian Interuniversity Sport). With Bailey leading the way, the Hawks won their fourth Ontario Colleges Athletic Association title in six years.

At 27, the self-proclaimed “old man of the OCAA” represents the heartbeat of the Hawks’ offence, averaging 13.22 points a game. Humber now advances to a bronze-medal semifinal on Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. MT.

“We’ve counted on him a lot down the stretch. He’s been a key player for us offensively all season long,” said sixth-year Humber head coach Darrell Glenn. “J.R. and I go way back. We’ve done provincial-team stuff together, and I know him from club basketball as well.

“I’ve always regarded him very highly as an offensive player, especially in the low post. He’s very skilled. A great passer. A great finisher,” added Glenn. “He can shoot the mid-range jumper and the three, which we don’t allow him to do. He’s a very multi-faceted player. He really allows us to do other things, and creates opportunities for other players.”

Bailey posted a double-double on Friday, with 14 points and 10 rebounds, as did teammate Chris Thompson (4th-year forward, Rexdale, Ont.), who had 12 points and 14 boards. Gerard Mozwa (1st-year guard, Toronto), who’d hit that critical trey with 34.5 ticks remaining, was NAIT’s co-leader on the scoreboard, with 14 points. Shane Cox (4th-year wing, Brampton, Ont.) also had 14, while Ooks teammate Rodel Grenaway (1st-year guard, Toronto) chalked up 10.

“It was a tough game to get up for, but at the end of the day, we didn’t do what it took to win the game,” said second-year NAIT head coach Don Phillips. “Yet again, rebounding killed us. They had 45 total rebounds; we had 27. And 17 of their 45 were offensive.

“We’re a decent rebounding team. But for our height, we could rebound better,” added Phillips, whose team will play for seventh place on Saturday, March 20 at 2 p.m. MT against the CEGEP de Ste-Foy, Que., Dynamiques. “That’s something I’ve got to address in the off-season – get some players in here who have some rebounding mentality.”

The Hawks, who shot just 34.9 per cent from the field, were forced to rally after the Ooks’ strong third quarter left the Torontonians trailing by two, 50-48, entering the fourth quarter.

“They really came after us. It was a very physical game,” said Glenn. “They went up on us in the second half, and we were able to settle down offensively, get the ball moving from side to side and inside to J.R. They were really, really tough defensively, and I was impressed with our guys’ ability to deal with that and push forward.”

For live game webcasts, real-time stats, photo galleries, and recaps, visit the official CCAA national tournament website at http://www.sait2010.ca/