The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team dispatched the TMU Bold by a 76-60 score in the OUA Critelli Cup semifinals on March 1, clinching a spot in the U Sports Final 8 national championship in Vancouver.
At the same time, their crosstown rival, the uOttawa Gee-Gees, took down the Windsor Lancers 81-53.
In a seemingly inevitable rematch of their electric Capital Hoops Classic battle less than a month prior, the Ravens and Gee-Gees will go toe-to-toe for the Critelli Cup on March 8. The final sets Carleton up for a shot at their third straight league championship.
But head coach Dani Sinclair said there’s work to do after her team’s sagging second-half performance in tonight’s game. After blowing the doors off in the first half with a 55-33 lead, the Ravens only mustered 21 points the rest of the way.
“I’m a little worried about how [nationals] will go if we play like we did in the second half, to be honest,” Sinclair said. “It’s great to go there, but we have to have higher standards. It was pretty terrible basketball in the second half.”
The third quarter saw a number of missed layups, passes and free throws as the Bold frustrated Carleton with a zone defence. By the final quarter, Carleton’s dreadful 11.8 per cent shooting was the worst of its problems.
“I don’t know how you go from scoring 32 in the second quarter to seven in the fourth quarter,” Sinclair said.
Rookie Abany Deng received significant floor time and recognized the team’s need to finish strong, especially as they’re set to take on a Gee-Gees squad that will take full advantage of their mistakes.
“Even though we’re up during the game, we have to push through to the end,” Deng said.
Despite a rough finish that drew the Bold back into the game, the home team controlled play when they needed to, showcasing their trademark grit and clutch play in spades. Although their tenacity waned at times, Carleton forced multiple turnovers, leading to six fast-break points and 16 from rebounds.
Five different Ravens boasted double-digit point totals on the night, flexing their unmatched depth. One of those was veteran guard Tatyanna Burke, whose 13 points only trailed forward Jacqueline Urban’s 17.
After a tense Capital Hoops matchup that threw her team’s undefeated season in jeopardy, Burke is raring to go for a winner-take-all final against the Gee-Gees, who have been the only serious challenger to the Ravens’ rule.
“I love playing these types of games because it brings everybody out,” Burke said.
“But overall, it’s been a battle for such a long time now and I think it’s the final chapter for both teams, so [I’m] just looking forward to it and really excited. Hopefully Ottawa is as well.”
And for anyone who calls a Ravens championship inevitable based on their undefeated regular season record, Sinclair has something to say about that; the team lost two pre-season games in September.
“If anyone ever mentions it, I make sure to tell them that we’re not [undefeated],” Sinclair said. “It’s not true.”
Carleton will host the Gee-Gees and a raucous crowd at the Ravens’ Nest for the Critelli Cup final on March 8.
Featured photo by Murray Oliver/The Charlatan.
