Powered by a late surge through Lloyd Pandi and Yasiin Joseph, the Carleton Ravens won two road games against the Nipissing University Lakers on Jan. 10 and Laurentian University Voyageurs on Jan. 11, extending their win streak to 13 games.
Still without a loss, the back-to-back wins marked Carleton’s first games of 2020 and first in more than a month. The rust showed in the first half of Friday’s game against Nipissing, when the Lakers, who had lost four in a row and are fifth of six teams in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division, kept the game close and ended the half only six points down.
When the Ravens returned to the court for the third quarter, something clicked. Head coach Taffe Charles was animated on the bench, but it was the speed of Carleton’s play that proved the difference.
“We just didn’t get the pace going to where we wanted to get to [in the first half],” said Charles. “When we play fast, we’re a very tough team to beat.”
A jump shot from Joseph started a 20-2 run for the Ravens. Pandi, Carleton’s sensational rookie, scored 10 of the run’s 20 points. In total, Pandi led the team with 22 points in his 22 minutes.
By the end of the quarter, the Ravens had outscored the Lakers 29-13 and Carleton led 67-45. They never looked back and won 92-58.
“I think everybody’s rusty, but we were able to work some rust off,” said Charles. “Getting back after taking some time off and getting some results is great.”
The team’s more anticipated game came on Saturday night at the blue and yellow Ben Avery Gymnasium in Sudbury. Laurentian ranks just below Carleton in the East division, with a 9-3 record and boast the division’s top scorer in Kadre Gray.
While Carleton had less trouble in taking a lead than against the Lakers, the Voyageurs fought hard and led 21-18 with a minute left in the quarter. It was one of the few times the Ravens trailed all weekend. The first quarter ended 22-21 for Carleton.
Carleton surged in the second quarter, going on an eight-point run and maintaining their lead for the rest of the quarter. By the time the first half ended, Carleton led 40-32.
The Ravens barrelled out of the gate after halftime, creating a 15-point gulf. In just five minutes, it went from an eight-point game to a 23-point game. In the second half, the Ravens outscored the Voyageurs 55 to 37. Final score, 95-69.
“We got to them early,” said Charles. “They got a bit tired and they had to go to their bench ‘cause they were tired, then we got to use our bench speed.”
Joseph and Pandi led the Ravens with 17 and 15 points respectively. Pandi, in his rookie year, leads the OUA in field goal percentage and ranks sixth in points per 40 minutes. While he has only played in nine of Carleton’s 13 games, his talents have helped the Ravens keep their perfect record alive.
“He’s a dynamic player around the basket and he’s just a tough, tough matchup,” said Charles on Pandi’s influence.
The Ravens will return to Carleton next weekend for a pair of games against Ontario Tech University and Queen’s University for their second-to-last home games of the regular season. How will Charles keep the momentum going?
“Just playing fast,” said Charles. “When we do that, we’re pretty tough.”
The Ravens will tip off against Ontario Tech on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. and against Queen’s on Jan. 18 p.m. at the same time.
Feature image from file.
