The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team had a perfect record as they won the 2019 House-Laughton tournament from Oct. 18-20, but it wasn’t an easy task. 

In the first match of the tournament the Ravens put on a convincing performance, beating the Acadia University Axemen 107-55. 

Munis Tutu attempts a lay up against the Acadia Axemen. [Photo by Spencer Colby]
The team was led on the court by performances from Aiden Warnholtz, Lloyd Pandi and Connor Vreeken, who played the most minutes during the game on the team. 

Heading into the second game of the tournament, the team was able to extend their lead to 2-0 after beating the Bishop’s University Gaiters 107-53. 

Much like the game prior, the Ravens were able to quickly capitalize on their opponents and lead 55-41 at halftime. 

In the last two quarters, head coach Taffe Charles made sure his team put on a spectacular performance and limited their opponents to only 12 points. 

However, the dominance the Ravens possessed was tested when it came to their third game against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. 

Both the Ravens and the visitors were the two remaining undefeated teams heading into the last game of the tournament, and the title was on the line. 

Right from the start of the game, both sides made it known that this was going to be a tough battle on the court. But their approaches to the game differed.

The Varsity Blues were eager to drive repeatedly to the basket, while the Ravens were positioning themselves for shots in and around the key. 

It was a tight first quarter with both teams working to get the ball down the court with strength and pace, but in the end Toronto led 26-23.

Really tight defence from Toronto kept it a close game and Charles noted after the final buzzer that the Ravens struggled.

“They caused a lot of problems…[and] we just gotta be better at it altogether,” said Charles. 

Alan Louis tries to take the ball away. [Photo by Jeff Pelletier]
“They’re a physical team that can defend and you know what, we didn’t execute as well as we would like on the defensive end and then also well, we didn’t start very well.

In the second half, it seemed as though the Ravens let the opponents get in their head and spent most of the quarter chasing the game. However, at half it was tied at 39-39. 

Coming back in, the team found a way to regroup and gained some vital energy on the court, helping them move towards the victory. 

The weekend was not exactly a slam dunk for the Ravens but Isiah Osborne had a few of his own. [Photo by Tim Austen]
In the last two quarters, Carleton was able to push through and edge the Varsity Blues 81-75. Yet, even with the victory, the team has to “work on everything,” said Charles.

“Between the coaching staff and the players and everybody we gotta work much harder if we want to keep up the same standards.”

The team will return to action on Oct. 29 when they take on Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y.

Feature Image by Tim Austen.

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