The Ravens women’s basketball team opened their season with a 58-56 victory against the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees on Oct. 26, thanks to their championship mentality, according to Ravens head coach Taffe Charles.
“We may not be as talented as we were in the past but we know what it takes—we know the grind,” he said. “We know the things that we need to do to win, and I think you can’t replace that.”
Charles said the game would be tough beforehand as Carleton and the U of O traded baskets early in first half, as the Ravens held a slight lead thanks to three-pointers by guards Jaclyn Ronson and Madison Reid.
The Gee-Gees, led by guard Amélie Hachey’s 15 points and seven rebounds, took a 10-point lead early in the third quarter. Carleton bounced back with key blocks by forward Emma Kiesekamp and a timely layup by guard Karyne Jolicoeur to go in front.
Reid followed with two of her five three-pointers, as both teams made numerous mistakes, to close out the game.
“They wanted to win it too much. The intensity level went up—the anxiety level went up,” Charles said on the errors. “Got a little hairy at the end there but just made enough free throws to win.”
Charles and the players praised Reid’s 19-point performance as she started at point guard for the first time with guard Alex Trivieri still recovering from an injury from last week.
“She’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen in high school. All she needs is a green light and an okay [from] the coach,” Charles said. “I want you to take 20 shots. If you go zero-for-20, that’s fine having the mentality of shooting the ball when you’re open.”
“Madison is amazing when she has the ball in her hands,” Kiesekamp added. “She’s a great shooter but she’s also fast with it. Just when she’s going, it’s so huge for our team.”
Charles said Trivieri is “still in the mix” to be starter when she returns to full health, having “gutted out” five minutes on the court against the Gee-Gees.
Ravens guard Nicole Gilmore praised the team’s grit and toughness. Forward Alyssa Cerino credited the team’s resiliency. She called it “a great win.”
“We’re just trying to pick each other up,” Cerino said. “I even said this before the game: it’s not going to be perfect. We’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to miss shots. We need to focus on the next play because if we focus on the play before, we’re not going to go anywhere.”
The team worked more on their shooting in practice the past week, according to Cerino and Reid.
“We changed our mindset in practice because we realize this isn’t the same team as last year,” Reid said. “We knew that we actually have to fight for this. It isn’t going to come easy—not that it did last year but the team was so different.”
Reid said the improved shooting is also about being ready when catching the pass, such as “getting [the ball] on two feet and being prepared to shoot instead of looking to pass or attack first.”
“As long as shooting is in our head first, that helps us with getting our footing in right,” she added.
Cerino and Charles also talked about how they enjoyed the victory as the Ravens head into their home opener against the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Nov. 2. “It’s enjoyable to watch them compete,” Charles said, referencing the team’s focus on intensity.
“Before the game, I said, ‘It’s the beginning of the season, let’s have fun with it’,” Cerino recalled. “We need to enjoy the experience because before you know it, it’s going to be over.”
—With files from Tim Austen
