The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team were unable to extend their win streak to four games, as they fell 73-67 to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks Dec. 3 at the Ravens’ Nest.
The loss drops the Ravens, ranked fourth in the country, to a 5-3 record and ends the Hawks’ two-game skid.
Rookie forward Shelby Kurt gave the Ravens trouble all night long, scoring a game-high 22 points, while collecting six rebounds.
“She can get it going for sure. When she’s confident, it’s hard to stop her,” said Ravens head coach Taffe Charles said. “She’s a hard matchup for most of the team.”
The Ravens started strong, countering the Hawks’ solid defence in the key with 50 per cent shooting from three-point range to build a 19-11 lead going into the second quarter.
After netting the opening basket in the second quarter, the Hawks went on an 8-0 run to pull within two points and force Charles to call a time out.
But it didn’t settle down Laurier’s attack, as they exposed Carleton’s weak perimeter defence to gain a 36-31 advantage at half-time.
But it was the third quarter that put the game out of reach for the Ravens. They shot a dismal 4-20 from the field and didn’t drain any of their six shots from three-point range.
And it wasn’t because of Laurier’s defensive efforts. Most of the Ravens’ shots were completely uncontested — they just wouldn’t sink.
“We had open looks and we had open lay-ups,” Charles said. “The chances are there, we’re just not finishing the plays.”
The players didn’t change their strategy for the final frame, he said.
The women improved their shooting to win the quarter 24-22, but still lost by a slim six-point margin.
A big reason for the loss was a lack of points off the bench, Charles said. But that should be fixed soon.
Second-year forward Darcy Hawkins, who shot more than 40 per cent from the field and averaged more than five rebounds a game in her rookie campaign, is recovering from a concussion that prevented her from playing all season.
“She should be ready to go at the end of the month,” he said. “That should help the rotation.”
The Ravens’ regular season will resume Jan. 6 when they visit the York Lions.
