The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team closed out their home schedule in style Jan. 29, as they hammered the Queen’s Golden Gaels 81-41, extending their undefeated record to 17-0.
While the game was the last chance for Ravens fans to see their team play on home court this regular season, that was not the only farewell taking place on the evening. The contest also signalled the final time that fifth-year guard Mike Kenny would take the floor in regular season action at the Ravens’ Nest.
Ravens head coach Dave Smart delivered a 10-minute speech to commemorate the Ottawa native prior to the opening tip-off. Smart’s words drew many laughs and even some tears, and concluded with a message that drew a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.
“If you need a role model, just look at Mike, because you will never find a better one than him,” he said. “I want to thank him for teaching me over the past five years, because it’s more than I can ever teach him.”
At the end of the ceremony, Kenny was presented with a framed, number ‘three’ Ravens home jersey, the number he has donned since he joined the program in 2006.
“It’s hard not to get a little emotional, but you try not to because you have a pretty important game to play,” Kenny said. “So you take it all in and I’m sure I’ll look back on it and have good memories.”
Once the festivities had ended, the teams got right back down to business.
The Golden Gaels came into the game with only three wins on the season. But despite having a poor record, the Ravens knew better than to take their opposition lightly. After a hard-fought 86-73 win between the two teams earlier this season, Kenny said it was important to come out of the gates quickly.
“It was really important for us to get this win, especially against Queen’s, because they played us really tough at their place,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we came out and set the tone early.”
Willy Manigat provided that early spark for the Ravens. The 5’11” guard brought the crowd to its feet with a steal on the defensive end, before running the length of the floor and finishing with a beautiful reverse lay-in.
Combining a strong defensive effort with dominant play in the paint, the Ravens opened up a 26-point lead going into the half.
As the game progressed, the home team began to spread the scoring around. Led by 16 points from Manigat, the team finished with four players in double-figures. Rookie guard Phillip Scrubb, who registered 12 points of his own, said this type of well-balanced attack is one of the attributes that makes the Ravens so successful.
“On any night, we have a bunch of guys on our team that can hit double-figures, so that makes us tough to defend,” he said.
The top-ranked team in the nation will now take to the road for their final five games of the season. The first test comes Feb. 4, when the men travel to Sudbury, Ont. for a match-up with the Laurentian University Voyageurs.