Carleton Ravens guard Marjok Okado (3) congratulates Brock Badgers players after losing 70-69 in a Feb. 21 OUA playoff game at the Ravens' Nest in Ottawa, Ont. [Photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens]

All has come to pass as Carleton Ravens head coach Taffe Charles foretold at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. The Ravens men’s basketball team will miss the U Sports national championship for the first time since 2002.

This comes after losing 70-69 to the Brock Badgers in the first round of the OUA playoffs at the Ravens’ Nest in Ottawa Feb. 21. 

“We’re not going to win this year,” Charles said Nov. 17 after a 69-63 win over Brock, ironically. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve seen all those championships up there, I know what it takes; we’re just too young.” 

The Ravens are winners of 17 of the past 20 national championships, including last season.

This season, Carleton entered the OUA playoffs as the No. 7 seed, while the Badgers sat at No. 10. The Ravens won their only regular-season meeting.

Carleton Ravens guard Marjok Okado (3) dribbles around Brock Badgers guard Jevon Brown (25) during a Feb. 21 OUA playoff game at the Ravens’ Nest in Ottawa, Ont. [Photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens]
Carleton showed all their usual strengths and weaknesses in a game in which they had every opportunity to win, but ultimately, victory slipped through their fingers. 

The first half saw the youthful Ravens fly out of the gate, especially in the second quarter where they shot 100 per cent on free throws and 50 per cent on threes. The Ravens were also extremely effective at limiting the Badgers’ opportunities.

Despite leading the Badgers 39-30 after the half and 55-46 after three quarters, Carleton got shelled for 24 points against in the final quarter to lose by one. 

Ravens guard Xavier Spencer drilled a three at the end of the third quarter to maintain a cushy nine-point lead going into the last quarter. 

Carleton Ravens guard Xavier Spencer (11) dribbles around Brock Badgers guard Davanté Hackett (3) during a Feb. 21 OUA playoff game at the Ravens’ Nest in Ottawa, Ont. [Photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens]
With an exuberant home crowd behind their backs and 20 years of championship history in their minds, Carleton was primed to keep the championship defence alive for another game.

But Brock guard Jevon Brown and forward Jordan Tchuente exploded for a combined 17 points in the final frame of action.

Brown and Tchuente led the way for the Badgers with 22 and 18 total points in the game, respectively. 

An early 13-3 run led by Brown and Tchuente forced a Ravens’ timeout as they scrambled to stop the bleeding.

It didn’t work.

A Tchuente dunk and another Brown three-point marker thrust the Badgers into a multi-possession lead as the Ravens’ offence effectively stagnated. The Ravens managed 14 points in the quarter — their lowest of the game.

Spencer drained a three to cut their deficit to four in the final minute, but the Ravens’ desperation led to free-throw opportunities for the Badgers, which they capitalized on to put the game out of reach.  

Down 70-67 with 0.1 seconds left, Ravens guard Marjok Okado went to the line needing to drain both free throws and then secure the ball off the Badgers’ ensuing possession — an impossible task. 

Carleton Ravens guard To Randriasalama (10) shakes hands with Brock Badgers players after losing 70-69 in a Feb. 21 OUA playoff game at the Ravens’ Nest in Ottawa, Ont. [Photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens]
As the Ravens’ loss sinks in, the Badgers advance to the quarterfinal round, where they will face the No. 2 seeded uOttawa Gee-Gees on Feb. 24 in Ottawa.

Featured image by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens. 

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