The major headline in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) basketball this week was made by the number five Ryerson Rams that became the first team to sweep the Ottawa/Carleton weekend matchups since the Windsor Lancers did it in 2012. On Jan. 22, the Ravens were handed a 79-61 loss at the hands of the Rams.
For the Ravens, the defeat marked the first two-game slide versus Ontario University Athletics (OUA) opponents in 14 years.
The Ravens got off to a hot start, hitting five of their first six shots to take a 14-2 lead. For the majority of the first quarter, the Ravens were in control. It was the second quarter where the wheels fell off.
Point guard Kaza Kajami-Keane pointed to the fact that the Rams’ defensive adjustment from man to zone at the start of the second disrupted the flow of the offence.
“We felt that we didn’t perform the way we should have against certain defences,” Kajami-Keane said.
Whichever adjustments were made, it certainly worked for Ryerson as they outscored Carleton 19-10 in the quarter.
The third quarter is where things unraveled. Rams guard Ammanuel Diressa poured in nine of his team-high 21 in the quarter.
His play off the bench was reciprocated by the rest of his team as the Rams bench outscored Carleton’s 48-16.
“[Diressa] is one of the top 15 players in the country, he scores really well, and we have to do a good job of taking that away,” said head coach Rob Smart.
The Rams’ lead reached 26 points, but a late surge helped reduce the final gap. It’s the first time since losing to the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the 2011 Wilson Cup that Carleton has suffered a double-digit defeat.
“They played a very good game. They’re a very good team. We just have to grow and get better for the next time we hopefully play them,” Kajami-Keane said.
The Ravens got back in the win column on Jan. 23 versus the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Freshman Stanley Mayambo had a breakout game off the bench to lead the Ravens to a 89-65 win.
“Guys were determined to get a win this weekend. We didn’t really want to go home without one,” Mayambo said.
The Ravens improved in quite a few areas in comparison to the previous loss. The most notable was the pesky defence, as the Ravens forced the Blues to turn the ball over 20 times, leading to 28 points.
“The coaches told us we had to enjoy playing a gritty game. We had to take pride in winning ugly battles,” Mayambo said.
It may have been ugly for the Blues but for Mayambo, his second quarter explosion was a highlight of his career. The freshman poured in 14 of his career-high 16 points in the second, including a dagger three at the end of the half to give Carleton a 17-point lead. Few were happier with his performance than coach Smart.
“He’s an example of what we want our young guys to do: keep getting better, keep practicing, and be ready for when the opportunity comes,” Smart said.
The Ravens will look to regain some momentum as they face the York Lions and Queen’s Gaels at the Ravens’ Nest next weekend.
