All year long, Carleton’s head coach Dave Smart said that his team shouldn’t be considered the favourite to once again capture the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Basketball Championship. As it turns out, he wasn’t kidding.

The Saskatchewan Huskies proved to be too much for the Ravens, as they upset the home team 86-82 in the semifinal match-up March 20 at Scotiabank Place.

Although Smart was pleased with his team’s effort, he said their execution was lacking throughout the night.

“You have to play well to be a great basketball team,” Smart said in the post-game media scrum. “We played hard and we fought but we didn’t play well.”

Smart cited his team’s dismal three-point percentage as their main reason for defeat.

This can be partially attributed to the fact that Saskatchewan decided to defend forward Kevin McCleery straight up, rather than double-teaming him.

“They basically played him one-on-one and that made it tough for us to get the easy looks from three that we’re used to,” Smart said.

McCleery put up 20 points in his final CIS game, but could have easily dropped 30 with all the chances he had.

“I’m extremely proud of what he’s accomplished in his five years here,” said Smart of the fifth-year centre. “He’s had some great highlights throughout the National championships and the dominance he’s had all this year. He’s a better kid than he is a basketball player. What’s there to say?”
Elliot Thompson and Cole Hobin, who will both be key components to the Ravens’ success next year, recorded 23 and 20 points respectively.

Mike Kenny, who brought the crowd to its feet with by nailing a deep three-pointer at the final buzzer, also chipped in with 12 points.

Midway through the third quarter, Carleton seemed to be coming on strong when Hobin used a quick pump fake to step around his defender and drain a mid-range jumper. But less than five seconds later, FIRST NAME Linklater returned the favour with a nice jumper of his own.

The Ravens came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth quarter, looking to eradicate the 12-point deficit they faced at the end of the third.

However, with five minutes left in the game, Thompson’s one-handed floater was promptly answered by FIRST NAME Glover, who put up a nice floater of his own from inside the paint. Every time Carleton would come on, the Huskies responded.

Saskatchewan’s head coach Greg Jockims compared the semifinal matchup to a heavy weight boxing tilt.

“We took a swing at them, they swung back and we were going back-and-forth all game,” he said. “We just had the last punch.”

Even though Smart incessantly insisted throughout the year that the Ravens were not the team to beat, he admits that losing to the Huskies was still a tough pill to swallow.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” he said, without hesitation. “Our goal was to win everything. Do I think we underachieved? No, I don’t think we underachieved. I thought we had a great year. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”

Smart was also quick to point out that one of his most proud moments this season came almost immediately after the post-game handshakes.

“I turn around and there’s 13 guys picking up all the cups and putting them in the garbage at our bench,” he said. “Their season just ended and they took the time to do that. Maybe that’s part of my problem. Maybe I need to recruit a few more pricks.”

Looking forward to next season, with the loss of 6’8” McCleery, Smart said the Ravens will likely become more of a perimeter team, like they have been in past years.

“We’ve got a great recruiting class coming in but we’ve also got nine guys coming back,” he said. “We’ve got lots of weapons and I would hope we’ve got lots of motivation.”

If the disappointment evident on the Ravens’ faces was any indication, motivation to succeed next year won’t be much of a concern.