The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team were unable to defend their previous Capital Hoops Classic title, losing to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 61-52 on Feb. 1 at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Ravens have been victorious in the last three Capital Hoops coming into the game.
The last time the two teams met was at the beginning of the season, losing to the Ravens 58-56 in a tight game.
The Ravens went into the game behind the Gee-Gees on the standings, looking for the win to push them to the top spot in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East.
In preparation for the game, Ravens head coach, Taffe Charles said, “We were focused on stopping their offensive transitioning. I think we did a decent job at that, but they made some good plays.”
The Gee-Gees started the game strong, opening the match with a quick basket in the paint, giving them the early lead.
Ravens guard Nicole Gilmore quickly answered back with a huge steal, scoring off a turnover with the help of teammate Cynthia Dupont, dishing the pass in a 2 on 1.
Shots weren’t falling for the Ravens team in the first quarter as they were unlucky behind the three on multiple accounts.
The Gee-Gees, meanwhile, converted on three-point field goals early, taking an early lead.
Both teams played tight defence in the first half, focusing on shutting down each other’s strong play inside the paint.
The Gee-Gees played a fast-paced first half, draining everything they put up.
Despite the Ravens best efforts on defence, Carleton went into halftime down 29-20.
After spending most of the first half fighting to come back, Charles commented on the team’s energy going into the half.
“We spent too much time trying to come back that in the fourth quarter [that] we ran out of gas and started making mental mistakes,” Charles said.
After the first half, the Ravens were ready to play and opened the third quarter with back-to-back baskets.
Ravens forward Emma Kiesekamp played tight defence in the paint, controlling the Gee-Gees starting forward Angela Ribarich—despite the height difference.
Her tough play, however, got her into foul trouble at the end of the third quarter with four fouls.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Ravens trailed by two, making this a nail-biting game.
In the fourth quarter, both teams proved they would not give up, trading buckets and fighting for the lead.
Gilmore continued to fight for her team, driving to the paint and taking the first Ravens’ lead of the game late in the fourth.
With five minutes left in the game, Dupont drained a crucial three and increased the Ravens lead. The play also helped to build the spirit of the loud crowd.
However, the Gee-Gees were on fire with their shooting all game and answered back the next play with a three of their own.
With 30 seconds left in the game, the Gee-Gees team played clutch offence, hitting a late game three and pulling away to take the victory.
Gilmore showcased her talents in her final Capital Hoops game, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
“We are both defensive teams, but our offence struggled,” Gilmore said. “At the end of the day, it’s about getting defensive stops that will convert to points, and we just didn’t get enough stops.”
The Gees-Gees claimed this year’s Capital Hoops title with the final score of 61-52.
“It was frustrating,” Gilmore said. “We made a lot of mental lapses and mistakes that can’t happen in a game like that.”
The Ravens have four games left in regular season. They will be looking to improve on their mistakes next game against the York University Lions on Feb. 8.
Photo by Tim Austen
