The Carleton women’s basketball team continued to develop their chemistry on the court, winning the McKeen Metro Glebe tournament which took place from Oct 4-6.
The Ravens won against the UQAM Citadins (83-58), the Bishop’s University Gaiters (74-72) and the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack (94-32) to claim the title.
Ravens head coach Brian Cheng said the team “looked in the mirror and went back to the drawing table,” after their exhibition games against Drury University in August.
Carleton had a number of standout performances from tournament all-star Madison Reid (31 points against UQAM), tournament MVP Alyssa Cerino (31 points and 18 rebounds against Bishop’s) and rookie guard Tatyanna Burke (19 points, 13 rebounds, six steals against Thompson Rivers).
In particular, the rookie adapted to the speed of the U Sports games–especially against Bishop’s-and improved on her own skills.
“It’s weird because I was versing myself in some ways because the speed of how they played, I’m really quick too so I felt like I was versing another me,” she said.
Reid was another player who continued to develop her game, specifically working on her shooting, part of which came down to mental focus.
It was Cerino who made a big difference in the game against the Gaiters after she capped off a dramatic back-and-forth game with a game-winning layup at the buzzer in overtime.
She said she saw two seconds on the clock when she received the ball and made her move.
“You just need to know time and score and I think we’re all on the same page,” Cerino said.
The team brought more depth than in the games against Drury in August, having only had seven players dressed for those games. Centre Emma Kiesekamp came back from injury while rookies Dorcas Buisa, Jade Lyons and Bryn Reynolds made their debuts.
“It just makes the depth and makes the intensity and makes the energy and the craziness a little bit longer lasting and it has a little bit more endurance,” Cheng said of the additions.
Buisa said she felt nervous before her first game but her teammates’ support helped. “They communicated for a way for me to feel more comfortable,” she said.
The Gatineau forward was also important throughout the games, often diving for loose balls, deflections and rebounds.
Since coming into university basketball, the new atmosphere has taught her to “work hard all the time,” said Buisa. “It’s definitely a fight here that I’m always trying to adjust to, to always be working hard.”
Lyons scored her first point off a baseline jumper late in the UQAM game.
“That was crazy,” the Ottawa native recalled. “To be honest, I blacked out…that feeling of me putting all the work that we’ve been putting in every single day. That was worth it.”
One thing the team continues to work on is defensive communication–something lacking against Bishop’s, according to forward Emma Huff.
“It’s about finding your voice and being confident,” she added. “Communicating doesn’t take skill necessarily…it’s a conscious decision we as a group really need to make every single day when we get on the court.”
Cerino said it can be tough to remember to communicate on the court. “Some rookies…there’s so much learning that they might forget to talk,” she said. “Even the veterans, sometimes fatigue gets to you and you forget to talk.”
Feature image by Jeff Pelletier.
