The Carleton Ravens women’s basketball team won their first-ever national championship after a 69-48 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies on March 11 in an emotional and hard-fought victory.
It was also the last U Sports game for six graduating seniors: Stephanie Carr, Jenjen Abella, Heather Lindsay, Elizabeth Leblanc, Nicole Gilmore and Catherine Traer.
“I don’t think it’s really hit me that I’m done yet,” Lindsay said. “I’m really happy. We played a great game and had a great season, great career and it’s been really fun and I’m really proud to be a Raven.”
Once again, similar to the semifinal game against the McGill Martlets, the Ravens started slow offensively. The Huskies raced out to a quick 15-9 lead after one quarter, led by Summer Masikewich (who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds).
Once again, the ball just couldn’t fall into the hoop for the Ravens. Layups rimming out. Three-pointers were missed. Madison Reid checked in for Abella, who was in foul trouble.
However, Carleton got going in the second quarter, trading blows with Saskatchewan. They were led by fifth-year forward Traer, who started attacking the rim after missing a few outside shots in the first quarter.
Traer followed up a three-pointer with a layup to put Carleton up 24-19. The Huskies answered by attacking Carleton down low with Masikewich and Libby Epoch converting. Saskatchewan led 25-24 at halftime after two Masikewich free-throws.
The game would turn in the third quarter as Carleton found their three-point form. Gilmore, who was still recovering from a slight leg injury, knocked down back-to-back three-pointers.
Traer also hit from beyond the arc while Cynthia Dupont drove hard to the rim and finished. She also hit the ensuing free-throw to make it 39-32. The lead would only grow from there.
Dupont would finish time and time again at the rim, even adding a three-pointer, as part of her 14-point championship performance.
Every time a basket was made, the score grew and so did the cheers from the Carleton bench and fans.
Carleton entered the fourth quarter with a 48-39 lead but it soon became 60-40, a Gilmore layup capping the run after an Alyssa Cerino three and another Dupont layup. The Huskies called timeout but the Ravens were on their way to glory.
“Honestly, our team killed it in the end,” Abella said. “We knew we had to come out in the third quarter and all the emotions were high and just had to kill it in the end.”
As the seconds ticked down, the starters and graduating players were subbed off, each of them entering to a bench full of hugs and cheers. The players couldn’t hide their smiles and joy on their faces.
Carr couldn’t hold back tears when the final buzzer sounded.
“The emotions, I could not contain myself, it’s insane,” she said.
“This is everything we worked for—me for five years and some of the girls as long as they’ve been here,” she said. “It could not be happier. It’s the absolute perfect ending to my career.”
The win capped off an undefeated season for the Ravens, as they went 29-0.
“Every girl went through their hardships to get here and it’s just a huge realization of our dreams and how strong we are as people and we can all overcome anything that life throws at us and achieve our goals,” Carr reflected.
“Sacrifice . . . and motivation,” Abella added. “It was our last time together and I’m happy we all did it together and we sacrificed a lot throughout this whole weekend.”
As Abella, Lindsay and Traer put it: “It’s a fairytale ending.”
Photo by Michael Sun
