In their first game at the U SPORTS women’s basketball Final 8 this year, the Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team defeated the eighth-seeded Victoria Vikes by a score of 77-66 in Victoria, B.C.
The win marked the first ever win at the Final 8 in program history. The Ravens had previous lost a combined four games at the 2011 and 2013 tournaments.
The beginning of the game saw a strong start for both teams as Carleton posted 22 points, while Victoria put up 16.
Ravens forward Heather Lindsay, who was recently named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Star, was Carleton’s top player in the first quarter with seven points and three rebounds, however played limited minutes for the rest of the game.
“The first half and the second quarter we panicked a little bit,” said Ravens head coach Taffe Charles.
The second quarter of the game was rough for Carleton, as they only managed to put up eight points and allowed 21 points. Their shooting percentage dropped from 60 per cent in the first quarter to 20 per cent in the second. There were multiple giveaways and a lack of rebounds for Carleton.
Once the Vikes got on a roll, the home crowd of 1,500 people loudly cheered them on, rattling the Ravens players.
“Tough environment . . . The other team was energized and was looking to get an upset,” Charles said.
“We were panicking and we were looking for answers. It’s just about staying calm and being composed and understanding why we are here. We’re the best defensive team in the country and we weren’t playing like that,” he said.
Going into half time the Ravens trailed by seven but were able to calm themselves and fix the issues from the first half of the game.
In the third quarter, the Ravens scored 23 points and showed why they are the best defensive team in the country by limiting the Vikes to only seven points.
“We got some stops, we were able to get out in transition and break their press… we played more aggressive,” Charles said.
The Ravens aggressive play style in the third quarter limited the Vikes scoring chances and leading to the Vikes shooting at a weak 14.3 per cent.
In the fourth, the Vikes pushed hard putting up 22 points in an attempt to get back into the game. However, this was not enough as the Ravens posted 24 points in response.
Ravens forward Elizabeth Leblanc was awarded player of the game for Carleton due to her team high 35 minutes of playing time and impressive 16 point night, many of which came at crucial moments in the game.
The final score of the game was 77-66 in favour of the Ravens, who will now prepare for a semifinal game against the McGill Martlets on March 11.
“[McGill is] a very good team, they’re well coached and I’m looking forward to the matchup,” Charles said.
Back in October, McGill and Carleton played a preseason exhibition game. Carleton was able to come out on top 51-46—however, McGill was able to put together an impressive record of 23-9 and win their sixth straight RSEQ title this season.
– Photo by Dan Robertson
