The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team won its fourth straight contest Jan. 28, blowing out the Laurentian Lady Vees 65-39 in what started off as a tight defensive affair.
“We’ve played very well this weekend,” said Ravens forward Kendall MacLeod. “We really got focused when we need to get going.”
The Ravens started off slowly, barely leading 12-7 at the end of the first quarter. Third-year guard Jessica Resch scored seven of Carleton’s 12 points in the first.
Resch continued her hot hand in the second quarter, putting in another 11 points and giving the Ravens a 33-15 lead heading into halftime.
Finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds, Resch had the only double-double in the game.
The Ravens took control of the game in the second half thanks in large part to their three-point shooting and overall team effort. They started the third quarter on a 10-0 run and didn’t look back.
“We played very well defensively [in the quarter]” Charles said. “If we can continue to play well defensively, hopefully we can do it when it matters.”
Fourth-year point guard Alyson Bush led the charge, scoring eight points in the quarter and knocking down two three pointers. MacLeod also put in 15 points on the night and the Ravens went into the fourth quarter with a comfortable 54-24 lead.
“We played much better in the second half,” Charles said. “We want to be consistent on both sides of the floor.”
The Ravens got an added boost in the second half from a pair of rookies. Point guard Chloe Levy contributed eight points and steady minutes while forward Madison Turner put in two points.
“A lot of our younger players played a lot,” Charles said. “We just need to make sure they’re ready to go when we need them.”
Although Laurentian won the final quarter 16-11, the 30-point deficit proved too much for the Lady Vees to overcome. Amanda McDonald led Laurentian with 10 points in the loss.
With the win, which was preceded by a blowout 98-32 win over the York Lions Jan. 27, the Ravens improve their record to 12-5 and are now in second place Ontario University Athletics East division.
Charles said he believes the Ravens are heading in the right direction, but they’re not quite where they need to be yet.
“We’re still playing sloppy,” he said. “Consistency and defence are what we need.”
His players agree.
“We rebounded well and made our shots,” MacLeod said. “We always want to improve our defence though; thats our focus.”
Next up for the Ravens is a Capital Hoops Classic rematch against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Feb. 4 at the Ravens’ Nest.
