The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team defeated the visiting Montmorency Nomads 75-60 for their second pre-season victory on Sept. 24.
Ravens centre Heather Lindsay led both sides in scoring with 27 points and eight rebounds.
Lindsay opened up the scoring for Carleton but Montmorency started strong, taking an early 9-2 lead with Jael Kabunda hitting a jumper and a three-pointer. Kabunda added another three-pointer as the Nomads ended the first quarter on top, 17-13.
The Ravens stepped up on both ends of the court in the second quarter, going on a 18-0 run after the first quarter to take a 31-17 at the end of the second. Carleton’s Madison Reid began the scoring frenzy in the second, hitting a three-pointer from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 17-16 before Cynthia Dupont stole the ball and scored on the next possession to give Carleton their first lead of the game.
Dupont found Nicole Gilmore, who finished under the basket and drew the foul to extend the score to 25-17. Montmorency remained scoreless until a free throw by Juliette Gauthier with over two minutes remaining in the quarter. The teams traded baskets back-and-forth for the rest of the second quarter with Carleton entering halftime with a 36-24 lead.
Ravens head coach Taffe Charles said the team’s defence, with 14 steals, three blocks, and 23 defensive rebounds in the game, worked well because of good communication on the court.
“We’re just trying to help [the defence]. Help our teammates and not let people on an island, I think that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “When we’re at our best, it was two people helping the basketball. When we weren’t at our best, there was one person driving and nobody helping.”
Lindsay had a hot start to the third, scoring six points in the opening two minutes of the quarter, and sparking the Ravens offence. Using her size and ability as a forward Lindsay scored off post-ups and drew multiple fouls.
The Ravens were able to effectively stump the Nomads defence with ball movement and passing. Gilmore found Amanda Niyonkuru for a basket and soon after from the sideline Alyssa Cerino passed to an open Gilmore, netting another two points.
Ravens guard Jenjen Abella hit a three to push the lead to 49-29, the largest gap of the game so far. The Ravens’ team play shone as they put up 20 assists compared to Montmorency’s six.
“We’ve been working quite a bit on a few sets and I think today we really got to be able to go through them a little bit with pressure, with different teams and I think it was good,” Dupont said in regards to the offence teamwork.
Gauthier led Montmorency with 22 points as the Nomads fought back to trim the lead to 15, outscoring Carleton 22-14 in the fourth. However, Carleton held onto the lead and was able to come out with a 75-60 win.
The win was their first pre-season game since the Ravens beat the Tiffin Dragons, a Division II team from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in August.
“Our goal is to be the best team we can be, so we work and we work and we make sure we’re competing against each other,” Dupont said of the team’s current objectives. “Hopefully it makes us better.”
Charles said the game was important to “get some rust off,” to improve on things and get experience for newcomers Cerino (formerly with the Windsor Lancers), Reid, and Emma Kiesekamp.
“We want to be able to play a little bit more offensive with keeping the defence clean,” he said. “We know we’re a defensive team . . . if we can be a bit more fluid offensively, that’s what we’re looking to do.”
This season the Ravens will be hoping to win their second Critelli Cup, and make a follow up appearance at the U Sports National Championships.
Their 2016-17 season was an impressive one for the program with the team holding an 18-1 record with Lindsay being named to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) first all-star team and the All-Canadian second team.
The team also led the OUA defensively only allowing 51 points against per game. The Ravens hope to improve their offensive ability this year after finishing in fifth in OUA for points for per game with 68.
Carleton’s next pre-season game is at home in the Ravens Nest against the Regina Cougars on Oct. 1. After that they will participate in the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops, BC.
The Ravens will open their regular season on Nov. 3 against the Guelph Gryphons at the Ravens’ Nest
Photo by Aaron Hemens
