Knowing that it would be their last home game until the new year, Carleton’s women’s varsity basketball team came out flying Nov. 21 in the Ravens’ Nest, and never looked back.
Led by second-year guard Alyson Bush, the Ravens defeated the University of Waterloo Warriors 69-48 in the first half of the night’s doubleheader.
“We knew this was our last game here, so for sure that kept us energized,” said Bush, who scored a game-high 21 points. “We came ready to play.”
She wasn’t kidding.
After their 23-point win against the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks the night before, the Ravens kept the ball rolling early against the Warriors.
The Ravens outscored the Warriors 22-11 in the first quarter, and really seemed to be playing with a high level of intensity at both ends of the court.
First-year guard Jessica Resch, who finished the night with 13 points, provided a spark early with offensive rebounds and put backs on consecutive possessions.
“I thought we did a really good job of playing hard in the first quarter,” said Raven head coach Taffe Charles. “We set the tone really well in terms of how we wanted to play. I was really happy with the energy level and the focus level in the first quarter.”
Perhaps this increased focused level allowed the Raven ladies to penetrate Waterloo’s full-court press with ease throughout the night.
Charles said the team learned their lesson against the University of Western Ontario, when their full-court press forced the Ravens back on their heels.
“We did a really good job this weekend of not being tentative when we get out of the trap,” he said. “As soon as we get out, we look to score.”
And they did.
Forward Ashleigh Cleary, left wide open in front of the basket, may have recorded the easiest two points of her life early in the first quarter, after the Ravens successfully maneuvered around the Warriors’ trap.
Another reason the Ravens were able to work around the Warriors’ defensive setup was the strong play of Raven guards, Bush and Resch.
On several different occasions, Bush and Resch executed the “give-and-go” to perfection, in order to move the ball forward.
Charles challenged Bush to be better and more consistent this season, and judging by her play against the Warriors, she’s listening.
“[Bush] is playing at a very high level right now,” he said. “She’s really taken the challenge of being better.”
He added that Resch has done a really good job as well
“She basically came from being a rookie and not playing at all and all of a sudden now she’s starting.”
With the win, the Ravens improve their record to 4-3.
But perhaps more importantly, they may have found their recipe for success: start early, and don’t stop.