The Carleton women’s basketball team broke an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) record of 37 consecutive regular season wins as they beat the Nipissing Lakers and the Laurentian Voyageurs on Feb. 9 and 10.
The team won without the services of veteran forward Catherine Traer, who was out for precautionary reasons after an injury.
The Ravens beat the record as they topped the Lakers 90-41 for their 38th straight regular season win.
The team jumped out to an early 12-0 lead thanks to two layups by Heather Lindsay and two three-pointers by Jenjen Abella.
Nicole Gilmore also scored during the run, part of her game-high 24 points. The Ravens were up 18-5 after one quarter and 39-24 by halftime. The Ravens defence turned it on in the second half, holding Nipissing to seven points in the third quarter as their offence continued to roll.
Carleton started the third quarter with 20 straight points, extending the lead to 59-24.
Ball movement was a staple of the Ravens offence, as they collected 20 assists compared to Nipissing’s eight. Gilmore, Elizabeth Leblanc, and Cynthia Dupont all knocked down open threes due to the team’s ball movement and spacing.
The game was out of hand by then as the Ravens ended the third quarter on top 70-31.
The Ravens got off to an equally strong start the following night in their 76-43 win over Laurentian.
The team reeled off 19 straight points after an early L’Ashante Henry free throw. Leblanc was key as she went to work in the post. Dupont and Abella also chipped in from deep.
The Ravens ran a lot of high-low action with Leblanc (14 points, two assists) and Lindsay (six points, 10 rebounds) scoring in the post.
The team also used their bench extensively as they ran up the score. Every player on the team played at least 10 minutes, including solid performances by first-years Madison Reid (nine points) and Emma Kiesekamp (eight).
After the Voyageurs cut Carleton’s lead in the second quarter to keep the score within sight, the Ravens went on a run to start the third.
Leblanc scored four quick points (two free throws and a layup) and Abella added a three-pointer to make it 45-14.
Once again, ball movement led to 20 assists once again (compared to Laurentian’s 11), symbolic of Carleton’s focus on playing “dynamic” offensively, according to forward Alyssa Cerino, who finished with four points and seven rebounds.
“Every possession, every play,” she said of the offensive approach. “Even in practices, same thing, it’s something we really need to focus on.”
Cerino also explained why the team’s focus on using the high post (the top corner of the free throw line) is so effective.
“Our forwards can really pull the defence out a lot so someone like Becky [Leblanc]—who can make really good passes—it gives her a better look inside and then out,” Cerino said.
Cerino praised Leblanc’s impact on the court.
“I think she’s a great player overall, defensively as well,” she said. “I think by far we’re the best defenders. Coming in [to Carleton this season], we played the same position so I kind of looked up to her and kind of took her as one of the leaders to really follow.”
The Ravens ended the Windsor Lancers’ (2012-13) 37-win streak, beating them in the 2013-14 season opener. It was also Lindsay and Stephanie Carr’s first-ever regular season game.
“It’s kind of cool that my last games, my last year, we could kind of set the record and we broke the end of the previous record so it’s pretty cool it all comes around,” Lindsay said.
The undefeated Ravens (21-0) will close out the regular season at home against the York Lions and the Queen’s Gaels on Feb. 16 and 17.
