HAMILTON, Ont. – The No. 10 Mohawk Mountaineers men's basketball team advanced to the OCAA semifinals for the second time in four years with a 99-92 overtime victory over the Centennial Colts.

After earning bronze in 2022-23, Mohawk had been eliminated in the quarter-finals in each of the past two seasons. Saturday's win sends the Mountaineers to the OCAA Championship weekend at St. Clair College.

Mohawk opened with the game's first three baskets to take a 6-0 lead and extended the advantage to 21-4 seven minutes into the first quarter. The Mountaineers carried that momentum to a 29-10 lead after one.

Centennial responded late in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to nine with under five minutes remaining in the half. Mohawk restored a double-digit cushion, but the Colts closed within seven before a Kazim Raza (Markham, Ont.) three-pointer gave the Mountaineers a 50-40 lead at halftime.

A 10-2 Centennial run late in the third quarter cut the lead to four, and Mohawk entered the fourth quarter ahead 67-64.

Centennial took its first lead of the game at 74-73 with 5:13 remaining and extended it to 81-77 with just over a minute to play. Marko Dosen (Hamilton, Ont.) answered with a jumper before Raza converted a layup 15 seconds later to tie the game 81-81. Mohawk had the final possession in regulation but missed two attempts, sending the game to overtime.

The teams traded baskets early in the extra period and remained tied 87-87 midway through overtime. A basket from Dante Richards (Oakville, Ont.) and a free throw by Scott Jenkins (Hamilton, Ont.) gave Mohawk a 90-87 lead with 1:26 remaining. After Centennial cut the deficit to one, the Mountaineers sealed the win with a 9-0 run.

Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. Mohawk shot 23-for-34, while Centennial went 19-for-31. The Mountaineers were outrebounded 47-22 but forced 22 turnovers.

Dosen led Mohawk with a season-high 29 points on 13-for-16 shooting. Raza added 18 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Iverson Chong (Oakville, Ont.) scored 13 points, while Jenkins added 10.

Dates for the OCAA Championship weekend at St. Clair have not yet been announced. Mohawk will face the host St. Clair Saints in the semifinals.