The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team faced off this weekend against the Ryerson Rams and the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues, defeating both to extend their win streak to 12 games. The first game against the Rams was a rematch of last years Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship game and the national title game.
The Ravens offence came out firing with some early three-pointers and were able to end the first quarter 22-13. The Ravens continued their strong play in the second quarter and were able to hold their lead 42-33 going into halftime.
In the third quarter the Rams offence rebounded, with a quick jump shot and three-pointer cutting the lead to 42-38. The Ravens were able to respond quickly as Eddie Ekiyor put in a layup from the paint—and with a late three-pointer from Cam Smythe—the Ravens held their lead at 65-58.
The fourth quarter saw the Rams battle to within one point on multiple occasions, but the Ravens were able to hold the defending OUA champions at bay, winning 89-80.
The next night, Carleton came out strong against the Varsity Blues with a decisive first half dominating play and going into halftime with a score of 51-22.
The Carleton bench saw a lot of time on the court during the final two quarters. The Ravens extended their lead to 78-38 at the end of the third quarter and were able to finish off the game with a score of 103-54. This win marked the third time this season that the Ravens have broken the 100 point mark.
The women’s basketball team saw the same success over the weekend winning both games against Ryerson and the U of T.
In their game against Ryerson, the Ravens battled hard through the first half of the matchup only getting up 28-24. A strong last minute performance by Catherine Traer gave the Ravens a much needed four point lead.
The third quarter saw the Rams take a 38-34 lead. Traer again responded with a three-pointer, sparking her team to net another four points and regain the lead 41-38.
The final quarter saw the Rams and Ravens exchanging leads throughout the last minutes. Carleton was able to make a last offensive push and finish the game on top with a score of 60-53.
The next day, the women’s team came up against the Varsity Blues, with the Ravens looking to extend their undefeated streak to 12 games.
The first quarter saw a strong performance from the Ravens outside of the three-point line. The Ravens were able to end the quarter ahead 21-13.
The Ravens continued to dominate with their strong offence, only allowing 10 points, netting 20 in the second quarter.
After the halftime break, the Ravens were caught sleeping, as the Varsity Blues outscored the Ravens in the third. The Ravens bounced back in the fourth, and were able to finish the game with a strong 66-44 win.
The win marked a special milestone for Ravens forward Heather Lindsay who scored her 1000th U Sports point.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will face off against the Queen’s University Gaels on Jan. 12, and York University Lions on Jan. 13.
Photo by Aaron Hemens
