Ravens guard Emmanuel Milon (15) pulls up for a shot against the Algoma Thunderbirds on the Nov. 15 at the Ravens Nest in Ottawa, Ont. Milon posted 18 points in the Ravens' sixth straight win of the season. [Photo by Charles Fortin]

Just 90 seconds into their Nov. 15 matchup against the Algoma Thunderbirds, the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team had already established an 8-0 lead, forcing an early timeout from the visitors.

Heading into the game with an undefeated 5-0 record, Carleton extended their winning streak to six with a resounding 105-62 victory against the Thunderbirds at the Ravens’ Nest.

Their early 8-0 chokehold was capped off by a wide-open three-pointer from forward Augustas Brazdeikis. 

The Ravens cruised into halftime with a 50-31 lead, capped off by a late three-pointer from forward Emanuel Milon. But head coach Taffe Charles said he still wasn’t satisfied with his team’s first half.

“My standards are pretty high,” Charles said. “Missing layups early, missing easy situations early, we have had bouts of that.”

The Ravens pressured their visitors with a half-court trap, which caused many of Algoma’s 18 turnovers in the game. 

The 19-point lead at halftime extended to 28 through the third quarter, and to 43 by the final buzzer. The Ravens’ 105 points were the most they’ve scored in a game this year as they increased their average to 91.2 points per game, good for second-best in the OUA.

Brazdeikis led the Ravens with 24 points through 17 minutes on the court and, with the performance, entered the top 10 in OUA scoring with 17.2 points per game. Adding 10 rebounds on the night, Brazdeikis credited his teammates for his double-double performance.

“[I was] getting open looks from my teammates, they were finding me all night,” Brazdeikis said. “Everything felt good from the start.”

Adding some depth to Carleton’s high-flying offence, Milon and guard Aubrey Dorey-Havens also chipped in 18 and 15 points, respectively.

Carleton led Algoma in rebounds 49-20, which the Ravens often capitalized on. Carleton now boasts the OUA’s two leading rebounders in Brazdeikis and Milon, who are both averaging more than nine boards per game.

Earlier in the night, the Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team were presented with their national championship rings.

“It definitely motivates us,” Brazdeikis said. “We didn’t win last year, so we are even more motivated this year to do well.”

Looking ahead, Carleton is back on the road for their next matchup as they head to St. Catharines, Ont., to face the Brock Badgers on Nov. 17. This game has some extra meaning for the Ravens, given their crushing one-point playoff defeat to the Badgers last season.

“We got to get that win, honestly,” Brazdeikis said. “We lost last year to them in the playoffs, so all we are thinking about is defending, rebounding, and securing the win.”

Featured photo by Charles Fortin

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