The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team’s chase for an eighth-straight national title came to a heartbreaking end at the U Sports Final 8 tournament as the Ryerson Rams shocked everyone with an 84-76 win over the Ravens. The loss marked the end of a 27-game win streak for the Ravens this season.
Meanwhile, the win ensured Ryerson will be returning to the U Sports national championship finals for the second-straight year after suffering a 78-69 defeat in last year’s final against the Ravens.
The game was as physical as it was emotional for players from each team, as the refs allowed them to play through for most of the first quarter with no foul calls. Both Carleton and Ryerson entered the game with a sense of urgency and hatred for one another, trying to establish an early offensive pace.
“We know going in every game is going to be a battle,” Ryerson guard Myles Charvis said. “It’s going to be a hard-fought game. There’s going to be punches thrown on both sides, and you just gotta continue to withstand those punches and make your own run because basketball is a game of runs.”
Carleton guard Yasiin Joseph set the tone for the Ravens, hustling to grab a long offensive rebound to prevent a two-on-one breakaway by Ryerson. The following drive would provide a similar theme as forward Eddie Ekiyor grabbed an offensive rebound around two Rams defenders, before passing the ball to a driving Cam Smythe to conclude an impressive sequence for the Ravens.
Ryerson answered by hitting back-to-back three-point shots, highlighted by Rams guard Manny Diressa draining a long three from center court despite plenty of contact from the Ravens defence.
A layup by Joseph and an ensuing three from Carleton guard Stanley Mayambo helped to minimize Ryerson’s lead as they trailed 18-11 going into the second quarter. Joseph finished the game with a team-high 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, with two steals and blocks.
“He saved us,” Raven’s head coach Dave Smart said after the game of Joseph’s play. “He’s sitting in that team room feeling like he cost us our year and I’m telling him: ‘he saved us our year,’ he absolutely saved us our year. What he did from where he was last year is just incredible. And that’s the hard part of winning as many as we’ve won.”
Ryerson fans were left holding their breath a minute into the second quarter after Diressa was seen holding his left shoulder in pain, only to be taken out by head coach Roy Rana the next play.
The Ravens’ defence later showed Ryerson why they were the nation’s top defence with two powerful blocks from Carleton’s Smythe from inside the paint. Forward TJ Lall would tie the game with a strong layup finish that sent him falling to the floor.
The play of the half came from Ryerson guard Roshane Roberts after burying a three-point shot with only two seconds to spare to tie the game 36-36 going into halftime.
The Ravens entered into the second half showcasing the type of grit and grind needed to reach the semifinals with Carleton forward Mitch Wood diving to grab an offensive rebound before forward Mitch Jackson finished with a layup.
Ryerson began to drift away from Carleton after guard Jean-Victor Mukama nailed a corner-three in front of the Ryerson faithful, who replied with a massive roar. The Rams held a close 63-56 lead going into the final quarter.
Going into the fourth, Diressa showed the crowd why he was named a first-team all-Canadian by hitting a difficult underhand layup with Ravens defenders wrapped around him. Diressa finished the game with a team-high 28 points, six assists, two rebounds, two steals, and one block.
Minutes into the quarter, an emotional Diressa appeared to be in pain once again, nursing the same injured shoulder from earlier in the game. He was taken out by Rana the following play.
The game would take a violent turn as Ryerson forward Filip Vujadinovic and Carleton’s Ekiyor wrestled each other to the ground fighting for a rebound. No foul was called during the play.
After Carleton’s Mayambo fouled out of the game, Ryerson’s Mukama nailed a three from the far corner to give the Rams an eight-point lead with two minutes left in the game.
The Ravens tried desperately to claw their way back, fighting for every rebound possible, before Ryerson guard Myles Chavis put the nail into Carleton’s championship chase with a driving layup.
“This is it for us, this is it for this team,” Rams head coach Roy Rana said in reference to his veteran players. “ . . . What an incredible story this is for our university.”
Joseph would bring the Ravens within four points of the Rams lead by hitting a clutch three from long distance with 20 seconds to go, followed by Smythe tapping in two points from the paint. The inspiring comeback would not be enough as Ryerson ran out the remainder of the clock to capture the win.
Although no Ravens players were available for the press conference after the game, Smart said the resilience of his young players throughout the season has made him very proud of his team.
“This team, we lost five of our top seven guys and played guys who never saw meaningful minutes before in their lives,” Smart said. “And we went undefeated until tonight. Everywhere else that’s a celebration. And unfortunately, at our place, it’s not.”
The Carleton Ravens will look to rebound and end their season on a high note when they take on the McGill Redmen on March 12, in the bronze medal game.
Photo by Grant Vassos
