It’s been a productive season for the Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team, who hold a 9-2 record and sit third in the Ontario University Athletics’ east division. But the team’s current success hasn’t come without trials and tribulations.
When the Ravens took on the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 25, they struggled to move the ball and create space for open shots. The Lancers cut through the Ravens’ defence, crafting open looks through dribble penetration and ball movement. They led by 13 late in the second quarter.
However, the Ravens stormed back to win the game 70-64. Star guard Kali Pocrnic scored 22 points to force the game into overtime before scoring six of Carleton’s eight overtime points to secure the win.
The Nov. 25 game shows Pocrnic’s ability to take the Ravens out of hard positions, but it wasn’t a rare situation for the Ravens to be in.
In several games, especially early in the season, the Ravens team struggled to reap productive numbers from their bench. The bench was outscored against the McMaster Marauders, Nipissing Lakers, Laurentian Voyageurs and the Lancers four of the first six games of the season.
Despite the bench’s insufficient productivity in those four games, the Ravens managed to win them all, largely due to Pocrnic. She led her team in scoring in those four games, recording 102 points combined.
The bench also struggled with a fundamental aspect of the game—making free throws. In both of Carleton’s losses this season, they shot 63 and 41 per cent from the charity stripe. The inability to consistently knock down free throws has hindered the team’s success in lost games.
Most recently, against the Waterloo University Warriors on Friday, the Ravens made only seven of their 13 free-throw attempts, despite winning 72-60. Against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday, the Ravens struggled again from the free throw line making only seven of their 15 attempts in their 68-50 win.
For reference, undefeated Queen’s Gaels went 14 for 19 from the free-throw line when they defeated Brock University Badgers on Jan. 6.
The Ravens relied on Pocrnic for the majority of their offence. She has been a crucial part of the Ravens’ roster, leading the team with 16.8 points per game, 4.8 assists per game and 32.6 minutes per game. She’s also third on the team in rebounds.
But the lack of team contribution was worrisome.
It is risky for the heartbeat of the Ravens’ offence to rely on one player. In the Ravens 71-65 loss to the Gaels, Queen’s showed Carleton what it’s like to have five offensive threats rather than one.
All five Gaels’ starters played an integral role. They scored more than 10 points each on the night and average 7.8 points per game or higher on the season, two of them exceeding 14.9 points per game.
After the Ravens’ 63-53 win over the Western Mustangs Nov. 26, head coach Dani Sinclair emphasized the importance of Pocrnic getting help from her teammates.
“If everyone gets open and hits their shots, opposing defenders will have to focus on all five of our players rather than focusing exclusively on Kali [Pocrnic], which will allow us to continue moving the ball better and generating open looks,” Sinclair said.
When the offence flows through Pocrnic alone, the Ravens often find themselves trailing behind opposing teams and relying on late-game efforts to overcome their deficit. Four of the Ravens’ eight wins this season have been from second-half comebacks.
But the Ravens’ bench has increased its productivity in recent performances.
Against the Warriors, the Ravens’ bench outscored their opponents 18-7 and against the Golden Hawks the Ravens’ bench outscored them 11-4. The last five games have seen Carleton’s second unit outscore their counterpart by a whopping 125-22 margin.
It’s not just the Ravens’ bench that has been rejuvenated offensively lately—so have the starting five playing alongside Pocrnic.
Guard Kyana Jade Poulin and forward Jacqueline Urban posted 12 points against the Warriors, while Urban added 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. Forward Emma Kiesekamp scored nine points, shot 50 per cent from the field, hauled in seven rebounds and recorded two assists, two steals and five blocks without committing a foul in 34 minutes of action.
When the entire starting five is productive offensively, and not relying solely on Pocrnic to score, the Ravens are at their best. They are able to move the ball to create open shot opportunities for everyone.
This was the case on Jan. 6 when the Ravens shot 43.1 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from beyond the arc. They carried a similar energy into Saturday’s game when they recorded 14 assists on 25 field goals, spacing the floor well and triumphing over the Golden Hawks with quick passes. Three starters also produced points in the double digits in both games.
A common theme stands out in the two wins: the Ravens are better off when they share the ball.
When the entire starting five and the bench are at their best and contributing, it’s not just the offence that improves, it’s the defence too. In their last five games, the Ravens have only allowed 55 points or more twice and have held opponents to less than 50 points on two occasions.
Against the Golden Hawks, the Ravens held the Golden Hawks to three of 24 from beyond the arc.
The Ravens sit fourth in the OUA with a 9-2 record and host Ontario Tech today.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
