The undefeated Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team has made a habit of lopsided victories this season. The Guelph Gryphons, sitting second-to-last in the OUA West division, should have been overmatched from the start during their Nov. 22 visit to the Ravens’ Nest.
But the Ravens struggled to pull away from their visitors, only securing the 61-47 victory through a late-game surge in the fourth quarter.
Carleton extended their league-leading record to 8-0 on Friday night. Carleton forward Augustas Brazdeikis took charge with 16 points and six rebounds, while Gryphons forward Eric Armstrong led the visitors with 12 points.
Where the game lacked in offence, it made up for in physicality. The officials managed a consistent game with limited calls as Carleton was booked for 22 fouls to Guelph’s 14.
“It just turned into a game where you could have called a zillion fouls,” said Ravens head coach Taffe Charles. “Guelph did a good job of getting us into muddy water, and the referees decided to not call very many fouls.”
The game was physical and fast throughout, which contributed to the 45 combined turnovers between the two teams.
“It turned into a war, and in a game like this you need warriors,” Charles said. “Our team is still young and we have a lot of guys who haven’t been in these situations.”
The Gryphons stayed close for most of the game, keeping pace with the first-place Ravens. The home team carried a slim 31-25 point lead into halftime.
Carleton finally pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Guelph 19-8 in the final frame to stretch their lead to 14 by the final buzzer.
A slower-than-expected start to the game meant Charles wasn’t overly satisfied with his team’s game, despite their sole claim to first place. The Ravens started the game shooting just one of their first nine attempts from the field, leading Charles to call an early timeout.
Charles was animated on the bench all night, expressing his clear frustration with his team’s play through a tight first three quarters against Guelph.
“The biggest thing I’m worried about is players thinking they are better than they actually are,” Charles said. “They don’t understand that the higher level you play, the more responsibility and expectation there is to play better.”
For a team with championship aspirations, squeezing out a difficult 14-point win against the now 1-7 Gryphons is not a strong sign. At times, the Ravens were simply outworked. Carleton came into the night averaging 89.3 points per contest. Their 61 points against Guelph was by far their lowest mark of the year.
Only three Ravens — forward Emanuel Milon and guards Marjok Okado and Jacob Knight — remain from Carleton’s 2023 national championship roster. Charles is looking to them to set the example for their peers.
The Ravens pounced on their next opportunity to extend their win streak on Nov. 23, when they took on the now 1-9 McMaster Marauders at the Ravens Nest. The Ravens toppled the Marauders 89-79 at home to protect their undefeated record.
Featured photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens
