The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team concluded the OUA regular season with two wins against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks and Queen’s Gaels, finishing with a 21-1 record.
With the season capped, the Ravens have the highest winning percentage (0.955), the most points scored (1,774) and the least number of points scored against (1,178) in the OUA.
Carleton tops the U Sports national rankings ahead of their OUA quarterfinal meeting with the McMaster Marauders on Feb. 24.
Feb 16: Ravens run clinic on Ontario Tech
Improving on the mistakes from their previous 92-61 win over the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, Carleton’s defence was more consistent across the board against Ontario Tech, while their offence was on full force in the 84-57 win.
The Ridgebacks gave it their all and only trailed by five points at the end of a competitive first half, thanks to the efforts of starting forward Allie Dunnett and guard Adra Barnet.
As always, Ravens veteran point guard Kali Pocrnic led the charge with 20 points, while her teammates Tatyanna Burke, Teresa Donato and Kyana-Jade Poulin all contributed with double-digit scorelines.
Coming out of the half, Carleton took their defence to the next level and forced Ontario Tech to shoot 21 per cent the rest of the game. On the offensive side, Pocrnic scored more than half of her points in the third quarter with the bench putting up 20 more.
Throughout this season, the Ravens have demonstrated one of their greatest strengths—the ability to out-rebound opponents. This trend persisted in the game. Forward Jacqueline Urban, proving to be a nightmare for opposition centers and forwards, secured seven of the Ravens’ 55 rebounds, while Ontario Tech managed only 24 rebounds.
For games this late in the season, fundamentals and game plan implementation are key. This Carleton win against the Ridgebacks is important preparation for the OUA playoffs.
Feb. 17: Ravens round out against Queen’s
In the final game of the regular season, the Ravens travelled to Kingston to battle the Queen’s Gaels and came away with a 70-63 win. The game served as a rematch of both last season’s OUA and national championship final.
Coming into the game, Carleton and Queen’s virtually matched each other in all relevant statistics including rebounds, turnovers, assists, steals and blocks.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth chess match, as Pocrnic and Urban faced off against the Gael’s star players including forward Julia Chadwick and guard Laura Donovan. The quarter ended with the Ravens leading by three points.
What eventually won the game for the Ravens was their defence, which held their opponents at an arm’s length as the match crept toward its conclusion.
By forcing seven turnovers in the last quarter, the Ravens kept the advantage on both sides of the ball. This has been their blueprint for pulling away in these high-profile duels.
Despite Pocrnic and guard Dorcas Buisa putting up 14 and 13 points, respectively, the highest-scoring players in the game were the Gaels’ Chadwick and Donovan, proving that defence is what ultimately decided the game in Carleton’s favour.
Playoffs ahead
With the two wins, the Ravens finish off the season atop the U Sports national rankings and secure home court advantage as they prepare for the OUA playoffs, hoping to win the Critelli Cup for the second year in a row.
The Ravens receive a bye to the OUA quarterfinals, where they will face the McMaster Marauders on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m at the Ravens’ Nest.
The Marauders defeated the Laurier Golden Hawks 72-71 in the OUA first round.
Featured image by Anya Swettenham/The Charlatan.
