An upper-body injury to guard Alain Louis nearly spelt disaster for the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team on Friday, as they battled to a 75-70 win over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues—the closest, most thrilling game of the season to date.
Louis, a cornerstone of the nation’s top-ranked team, was injured Thursday at practice, requiring the Ravens to shift their plans last-minute. Carleton’s lack of preparation almost ruined its perfect record, which improved to 11-0 after an 80-63 win on Saturday.
The Varsity Blues entered the weekend 2-7 and eighth of nine teams in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division. But the Ravens were caught off guard Friday and trailed as late as 9:39 in the fourth quarter, the latest they’ve trailed all season.
“[The Varsity Blues] wanted to get an upset and they did in terms of a great effort,” Carleton head coach Taffe Charles said. “Maybe we consider this a loss, but we didn’t play to our capabilities tonight and we haven’t the last couple games.”
With Louis sidelined, players adapted to new roles. Forward Lloyd Pandi stepped into an unfamiliar position. Guard Cordell Viera played 53 minutes over the two games after playing only 72 minutes all season.
“[Louis is] one of our best players … He’s one of our leaders, so missing him—you saw [the impact] today,” Pandi said. “Everybody had to step up and you had to adapt accordingly.”
Sometimes it worked, like when Viera netted 14 points and seven rebounds on Saturday. Other times, it didn’t.
“We have other guys who unfortunately had the chance to step up … and they just didn’t,” Charles said. “[Guys] who’ve been in the shadows for a couple years and now they gotta play better and they gotta be main guys … They gotta take the challenge and I don’t think we did that.”
Carleton opened the game strong with a 15-9 first quarter. But Toronto gained steam in the second, taking the lead with 1:46 left on the clock and finishing the first half down only two points.
The third quarter didn’t go much better. Toronto continued to match the Ravens, succeeding particularly at the three-point line. After two free throws stretched the score to 52-44—Toronto’s largest lead and the furthest behind Carleton has been all season—a fan seated five rows back had seen enough.
“Come on, Ravens,” the fan groaned, annoyance in their voice.
The Ravens heeded the fan’s wishes. They took back the lead in the first seconds of the fourth and pulled out with the win, but the threat to Carleton’s perfect season was real.
“When you play against the best, it brings out the best in you,” Toronto head coach John Campbell said. “To be able to … match their intensity and really compete right down to the end and, other than a few breakdowns, compete at a really high level, there was a lot to be proud of.”
Charles said it’s concerning that the team’s success revolves so much around one player.
“It’s basketball. You need three good players and when one of them’s gone, it makes a huge difference,” Charles said. “It’s more of a long-term problem … in terms of having people who can have [Louis’] skill set to be on your basketball team.”
Most of the issues that plagued Carleton on Friday were absent Saturday, even with Louis still sidelined. The Ravens rolled through a 29-9 first quarter and, despite being outscored by 13 points in the second, put up enough support in the last two frames to come away with a decisive win.
Charles’ message to the team between games was one of responsibility. A coach can only do so much; ultimately, it’s up to the players to set and execute goals.
“We’re the ones out on the court at the end of the day,” Viera said. “[Charles is] trying to help us as best as he can, trying to give us the information we need to go out there and execute. It’s just up to us to execute on the court and play hard.”
Louis is still day-to-day with his injury and could miss Carleton’s Wednesday game against the uOttawa Gee-Gees. The Gee-Gees are a formidable foe—they’re ranked third in Canada and allow the second-fewest points per game in the nation, behind only the Ravens.
When the teams faced off for the first time on Feb. 18, Carleton came away with a statement 71-58 win, in large part thanks to Louis’ 17 points and 10 rebounds. Without Louis, they might not be so lucky.
“They lost to us last time, so I know they’re not going to go down easy,” Viera said. “It’s gonna be a fight so we gotta come out ready to play.”
Featured image by L. Manuel Baechlin.
