The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team beat their cross-town rival the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees 74-53 at home on Nov. 14.
Ravens guards Yasiin Joseph and Munis Tutu led the way offensively with 21 and 17 points respectively. Sean Stoqua led the U of O with 15 points and four rebounds.
The game got off to a tight and intense start, as the Ravens pressed the Gee-Gees early and often. A Calvin Epistola jump shot and a Stoqua three-pointer gave the visitors an early 7-2 edge.
Tutu scored Carleton’s first nine points. He drove to the basket and scored to put the Ravens on top 9-7 before being replaced by Joseph.
Joseph picked up the offence from Tutu with a step-back jumper and a three ball to keep the lead at 16-12.
The U of O kept the game close as Episola opened the second quarter with a jump shot after cutting to the basket, only for Carleton to answer as Joseph found Cam Smythe for a layup to make it 19-16.
The Ravens began to pull away slightly as Tutu’s long-distance shot made it 22-16 but the Gee-Gees fought back, capped by Stoqua’s three ball to make it 22-21 three minutes into the second quarter.
Carleton would truly pull away with a 16-2 run carrying into the second half. That same half, the defence forced a turnover and Tutu found Eddie Ekiyor for a dunk that brought the crowd into applause.
Tutu swished another three-pointer (he was three-for-four from beyond the arc) off an Ekiyor rebound to make it 42-29 midway through the third quarter.
However, the Gee-Gees continued to challenge the Ravens cutting the score to 50-40 late in the quarter thanks to a Brandon Robinson three-pointer.
Joseph answered with eight points to end the quarter with Carleton on top 60-43. In the fourth, Carleton drew five fouls that helped them extend the lead.
The U of O’s comeback hopes were finished as Carleton continued to produce offensively. A TJ Lall jumper and a deep ball from Joseph prompted the Gee-Gee’s to call a timeout with just over three minutes left, with the score at 69-48.
“It wasn’t our best performance but we came to play, we executed and we got the win,” Tutu said.
Tutu, a transfer from the Loyola Marymount Lions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, said he felt his first U of O-Carleton game was a great experience.
“Coach [Dave Smart] just tells me to be aggressive but make easy plays so for most of the game, that’s what I try to do and I know I’m going to make mistakes sometimes but I got to remember to be aggressive,” Tutu said.
Tutu and Joseph noted the importance of the team’s pressing and defence—which forced 14 turnovers including seven steals as the U of O shot 32.2 per cent (19-59).
“Its just reading how the offence is . . . seeing if they’re tentative. You go [press] if they’re tentative,” Joseph said. “It’s not random but it’s set up by the coaches.”
Joseph said he felt while the team’s effort was good, the Gee-Gees played harder than the Ravens.
“I think we got to step it up the next game we play them,” he said.
The Ravens’ upcoming games are at home against the Windsor Lancers and the Western Mustangs on Nov. 17 and 18.
Photo by Meagan Casalino
