The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team completed an undefeated regular season, as they defeated the Ryerson Rams and the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues to finish 19-0 in the standings.
The wins marked Carleton’s first undefeated season since 2013-14.
“We’re probably halfway done, we’re not even 75 percent yet so we still got a long way to go,” said Ravens forward Ryan Ejim. “We got [Ontario University Athletics]s and then we got Nationals, and we need to gear up for that and try to go on another run.”
Heading into the game against Ryerson, the two teams are averaging some similar statistics. Both teams are Top 5 in U SPORTS scoring, average approximately 30 defensive rebounds per game, and both teams limit their opponents to a shooting percentage of approximately 35 percent.
The Rams came out of the gate hot, taking an 11-2 lead.
“When we saw them making a couple runs, we didn’t lose our determination, we just kept pushing,” said Ravens guard Marcus Anderson.
Carleton showed the resolve they’ve demonstrated all season long and ended the half with a slim 35-32 lead. Carleton’s offence was driven largely by guard Kaza Kajami-Keane who scored 13 in the half and finished with 21 points.
In the third, Ryerson pushed back and took the lead for most of the quarter. The Ravens faced deficits of 46-37 and 50-45, before regaining the lead late.
Late in the fourth, Anderson found himself open and sunk a crucial three, which put Carleton up 78-71.
“Me and my teammates, and some of my coaches, work on that shot everyday,” Anderson said. “It was all about spacing and I just let it fly.”
Ryerson pushed back again and tried to close the gap. In an effort to stop the clock the Rams fouled Ravens guard Connor Wood, who scored two crucial free throws, giving the Ravens a five-point lead, which was enough to secure the 82-77 victory.
The five-point difference is the smallest margin of victory the Ravens have won by all season.
In the game against U of T, it was Carleton who came out hot. They dominated early, jumping to a 16-5 lead. In the first quarter, Wood sunk four three point shots for 12 points.
“I don’t ever think twice when Connor is shooting the ball,” Ejim said. “He’s been great, his career here’s been amazing and I’m happy that I get to be in the same graduating class. It’s good to see him go out like this.”
The Varsity Blues had their chances, but the Ravens defence kept them to the outside, limiting U of T to an overall 19 percent completion rate on field goal attempts.
At the half, Ravens held a commanding 51-23 lead.
From there, things only got worse for Toronto as they managed a mere 13 points in the second half.
The Ravens sat their starters in the fourth, but the bench players continued the offensive to provide a 100-36 victory.
“Overall I thought it was a good game,” Ejim said. “The seniors definitely came out and we appreciate the fans for coming out and showing support. It’s been a crazy ride the last few years, the best time of my life and I’m happy to be here and happy it [the regular season] ended like this.”
– Photo by Trevor Swann
