It takes about nine minutes to travel the six-kilometre distance between the Carleton University and University of Ottawa (U of O) campuses, according to a Google Maps estimate.
With the Carleton Ravens and University of Ottawa Gee-Gees set to battle for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s basketball championship Sunday afternoon, another chapter will soon be written in the burgeoning rivalry between the local schools in close proximity to the other.
In terms of longevity, Carleton has won nine of the last 11 national championships, including triumphs in three straight seasons, while U of O has never won the main prize at nationals.
But in terms of recent play, the Gee-Gees are demonstrating how they have finally closed the gap between the two teams.
A game-winning, step-back jumper from Gee-Gees fourth-year guard Johnny Berhanemeskel with just five-tenths of a second left on the clock in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final helped U of O win and snap a pair of long droughts for its men’s basketball team.
It was the first time the Gee-Gees captured the Wilson Cup since 1993, as well as the first time they beat the Ravens since 2007.
Berhanemeskel, who is leading the CIS Final 8 tournament in scoring with an average of 22 points per game, said winning that game against Carleton meant a lot to his team.
There are no current players on either team who played the last time the Gee-Gees beat the Ravens in men’s basketball, which happened more than seven years ago in a 77-71 Gee-Gees victory back in the OUA regular season finale on Feb. 17, 2007.
“We had to step up and play our type of basketball, which we hadn’t done in the first two games of the season,” Berhanemeskel said. “We did our best to stay true to our identity, and we’ve put a lot of effort into [our team identity] over the years.”
Ravens forward Tyson Hinz said even though his team never lost to the Gee-Gees during his five years with the Ravens before the Wilson Cup, he said losing to them shows how good of a team U of O has become.
“We know they’re a good basketball team,” he said. “We’ve had a bunch of close games with them and lost to them, so we know we have to play hard for a full 40 minutes to beat them this time.”
Even though both meetings during this regular season were won by Carleton in blowout fashion, last season saw three meetings between the rival schools with each game being decided by fewer than five points.
Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin said seeing his team play well against the Ravens in the playoffs gives them more confidence heading into the CIS final.
But he said the Gee-Gees struggled in its semifinal win more than Carleton did in its own semi.
The Ravens, seeded second, cruised in their Saturday semifinal by a 79-55 margin over the University of Alberta Golden Bears, and the Gee-Gees fought their way past the University of Victoria Vikes by a 78-70 score.
“All you can ask is to be in the position tomorrow. Carleton is a fantastic team, they looked dominant and we had to battle pretty hard,” he said. “But we know we can hang with them—and we can beat them.”
The Ravens have never lost in a national championship game, going a perfect 9-0 in school history in the deciding game, while this will be the Gee-Gees’ debut in the CIS final game.
This year’s local showdown will make up for last season’s missed prospect of an all-Ottawa final, as the Lakehead University Thunderwolves upset U of O in a thrilling national semifinal.
The championship final between Ottawa-based teams in the nation’s capital will mark the first time the gold medal game has ever been contested where both competing teams are from the host city.
Derouin said seeing the top two teams in Canada face off in the biggest game of the season is the perfect storm for the city of Ottawa and its basketball community.
Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and Derouin said everyone should be prepared for a great game and a crazy atmosphere.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for,” he said. “The city is hosting the national championships. We’ve got Carleton versus Ottawa in the national championship final, on a Sunday afternoon. What else could you have to do?”
