Ravens guard Dorcas Buisa (7) rushes up the court against the Algoma Thunderbirds on Nov. 15 at the Ravens Nest in Ottawa. The Ravens toppled the Thunderbirds 81-33 in their sixth straight win on the season. [Photo by Charles Fortin]

Dani Sinclair was looking for “intensity” from the Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team. Although they led the Algoma Thunderbirds 43-25 after the half on Nov. 15, the Ravens head coach wasn’t inspired by her team’s start.

“[We’re] talking about bringing the intensity more,” Sinclair said. “Defensively, I thought in the first half that was only coming from a couple people.”

But a defensive refocus in the second half lifted Carleton to a commanding 81-33 final score, keeping their perfect 6-0 record. The Ravens allowed just eight points against in the third and fourth quarters combined.

“We had a little bit of a rocky start, but after halftime, we pulled it together, came together as a team and played more as a unit,” said rookie Nathalie Francis, the younger sister of fourth-year forward Gabrielle Francis.

Carleton opened the third quarter with a dominant 14-0 run. Given the disparity between the two clubs’ records — Algoma entered the night with a 1-4 record — this created a more appropriate lead for the Ravens. 

Spearheading the offensive push were forward Jacqueline Urban and guard Teresa Donato, who led the Ravens with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Ravens guard Teresa Donato (8) jumps over an Algoma defender for a layup on Nov. 15 at the Ravens Nest in Ottawa. Donato scored 13 points in Carleton’s win over the Thunderbirds. [Photo by Charles Fortin]
“We practice every day for these moments,” Donato said of her team’s ability to pull away in the second half.

Despite taking a foul early in the game that left her visibly frustrated, Urban turned into a force on both sides of the court. She accumulated a game-high 10 rebounds, bringing tenacity to every play. 

The veterans were called upon and responded when it mattered, but following the team’s next game against the Brock Badgers, more will be expected from the bench. 

That’s on account of Kyana-Jade Poulin, Urban, and Donato representing Canada in Xiamen, China next weekend for the 2024 FISU 3×3 University Basketball World Cup. The tournament will take the Ravens championship trio out of the lineup for their home games against the Guelph Gryphons and McMaster Marauders, two of the top teams in the OUA.

The offensive impact of Poulin, Urban and Donato can’t be overstated — they racked up 41 of Carleton’s 81 points against Algoma. However, the junior Francis sister impressed in the last half, finishing the game with 12 points, one assist and one rebound. It was a good sign for one of the rookies who will have to shoulder a heavier load against two of the OUA’s best teams next weekend. 

“We’ve been preparing for the inevitability of that since July,” Sinclair said. “Those are obviously three people that are irreplaceable, but we’ve talked a lot about our depth this year.”

Unfortunately, that depth was threatened in the fourth quarter when rookie guard Catherine Oliver took a hard fall on her knee and had to be helped off the court. Sinclair didn’t have an update on Oliver’s status after the game, but the Ravens would sorely miss her skill if she were unable to play next weekend.

Ravens rookie guard Catherine Oliver (5) dribbles in the Algoma zone on Nov. 15 at the Ravens Nest in Ottawa. Oliver has averaged four points per game through her first six as a Raven. [Photo by Charles Fortin]
“[Oliver] has been on a good road of development, and regardless of what happens here, that’ll take its course one way or another,” Sinclair said. “She’s meant a lot to this group, and she’s part of that core of first-year players that have just really jumped in and done a great job for us.”

Championship rings arrive

Before the game, there was a moment of reflection and celebration, as the returning Ravens players and coaches received their championship rings in honour of their 2024 U Sports national championship. 

“It was so special, having my family here and other families that are part of the team,” Donato said. “It was just awesome seeing everyone and being with the whole team.”

Sinclair said it was meaningful to have time to appreciate the accomplishments of last season given how little time they had immediately following their championship win.

“There’s a little bit of time in the spring, but everybody kind of disperses with exams and you don’t get a lot of time to sit back and reflect,” Sinclair said. “I had a moment during that presentation where you just are so grateful for having had that opportunity and the people that you shared it with.

“It’s really special and will always be a great memory, and such a great group of people that we accomplished that with.”

For first-year Nathalie Francis, the ceremony was something she said she hopes she can experience more of with this new team.

“It’s cool to see what they were able to accomplish by working all together, so just trying to follow their lead so we can do similar things in the future.”

Featured photo by Charles Fortin

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