The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team captured its sixth consecutive Capital Hoops Classic win in a thrilling game Jan. 23, defeating the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees by a score of 63-58 in front of a boisterous Scotiabank Place crowd.
“We did some good things defensively and they did some good things defensively, so I think both teams have to be satisfied, but we have to be concerned with what we did offensively,” Ravens head coach Dave Smart said.
“But we held a very good basketball team to 58 points, so we have to be happy with that.”
The first quarter saw both teams catching fire from beyond the arc, but it was the University of Ottawa who had a 19-15 lead after the first frame, thanks in large part to 10 points from Gee-Gees’ third-year guard Johnny Berhanemeskel.
In the second frame, it was the Gee-Gees once again who narrowly outscored the Ravens by two in a back-and-forth second quarter, and held a 34-28 lead at the half.
Photos by Willie Carroll
Smart said he did not tell his team anything special to motivate them coming out for the second half.
“You have to play fundamentally sound and go out with a plan and be aggressive,” he said. “We played with no plan and no aggression in the first half, and we still had some demons we had to deal with late in the game.”
The Ravens stepped it up to open the second half, as they dominated the Gee-Gees from the outside in the third quarter to take a 47-44 lead going into the final frame.
The fourth quarter brought an improved effort in the paint from Carleton, as Tyson Hinz and his 15 points and 16 rebounds took over.
Despite a late flurry from the Gee-Gees, the Ravens hung on to win the cross-town battle.
Ravens third-year forward Thomas Scrubb, who paced Carleton’s offence with his game-high 19 points, said his team had an inconsistent effort.
“We were up and down for most of the game,” he said. “We were nervous throughout the game and we made some critical errors, but we played with energy and came out with the win, so that’s good.”
Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin said he was pleased with how his team played, especially considering their 40-point blowout loss in last year’s event.
“I think our team has grown up a lot since last year, and we really would have liked to have that one for sure,” Derouin said. “I thought we played well defensively but we just missed some open shots at the end that cost us.”
Missed opportunities were an important element to the game for both sides, as Carleton shot only 55 per cent from the free throw line in the contest, and Ottawa only shot 23.1 per cent from the floor in the second half.
The Capital Hoops win means the Ravens’ winning streak is up to 13 games, adding to their division lead in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.
Scrubb said this win over a talented Gee-Gees squad will help prepare them moving forward.
“A few times this year, we haven’t come up with the win in close games,” he said. “It helps your confidence in playoffs and nationals where if you get into these close situations, you have the confidence you’re going to make plays and win.”
Smart said his team must improve in leadership, especially considering the graduation of three key players last year in Cole Hobin, Elliot Thompson, and Willy Manigat.
“We’ve got talent, there’s no question about that, but we don’t have strong leadership right now, and that needs to change,” he said.
“It’s hard to get rid of the demons until you get the leadership,” he added.
“It’s got to be tough leadership otherwise happy world isn’t going to make it in these games. And as you see at the end, it’s not always a happy world situation because everyone needs true confidence.”
