The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team suffered their first loss of the season 71-65 to the Queen’s University Gaels, who now have a 5-0 record.
The Ravens trailed behind nearly the entire game, missed shots down the stretch, gave up points in transition to the Gaels and missed many free throws in their defeat.
The Ravens are now 4-1 on the season.
The Gaels moved the ball well and consistently created open shots. They drove to the basket frequently for layups and high-percentage shots in the key and also kicked it out to open three shooters when they needed to. The Gaels had 16 assists on 22 field goals.
Despite both teams giving up a lot of turnovers, they each made up for their errors in transition. The Gaels only scored six points off 15 turnovers, while the Ravens scored five points on 14 turnovers.
The Ravens’ bench put up 33 points, more than tripling the output of the Gaels, who scored 10. When the starters are struggling, a strong bench output is needed to close scoring gaps.
The Ravens’ missed free throws hurt them down the stretch. They shot 63.2 per cent from the charity stripe compared to the Gaels’ 80 per cent. Carleton’s shooting troubles continued as they went 21 for 68 from the field but went 11 for 29 from three-point range. The Gaels scored at a more proficient rate, scoring 22 of their 57 shots from the field and 11 of their 28 three-point balls.
However, the Ravens were good on the offensive glass, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds which led to 15 second-chance points.
The Ravens’ offensive success failed to carry over to the other side of the court. They were out-rebounded 28-22 on the defensive glass. Both teams created high-percentage shot opportunities in the key, but the Gaels outscored the Ravens 22-18 in the paint.
Ravens forward Florence Fortin had a great night off the bench, scoring 14 points and grabbing two rebounds.
Guard Kali Pocrnic led the Ravens with 16 points, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. Pocrnic hit an important three and added a layup to cut the deficit to one point. She then hit two free throws late in the fourth quarter to give the Ravens a 64-63 lead, their first lead with 2:50 left in the game. It wouldn’t last long. The Gaels went on an 8-1 run to close out the game.
While the Ravens struggled during the night, continuing a season-long trend of free throw troubles, they will look to get back in the win column with a home game on Nov. 25 against the Windsor Lancers.
Featured image by Veronica Carvalho
