Ravens stave off Rams to earn semifinal birth in the Critelli Cup Playoffs

OTTAWA, Ont. – The Ravens got off to a promising start in their road to the Critelli Cup championship with an 82-66 victory over the Rams. Ryerson hung around with Carleton for the better part of three quarters, before ultimately succumbing to Carleton's defence in the fourth quarter.

Fifth-year guard Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) came alive in the second half to score 19 points, while also dishing out four assists and collecting two steals and a block in 32 minutes of action.

"We knew the post-game was going to be a tough matchup and they have some really good shooters. We used our taller guards in the low-post against their smaller guards and we were able to get some baskets in transition," forward Alyssa Cerino (Stoney Creek, ON) said.

"Rebounding remains a main focus for us. It's always going to be a battle on the boards and Ryerson was a great contest for us."

GAME FLOW:

The Rams closed out the regular season on a three-game winning streak and entered the Ravens' Nest with momentum following an opening round win over the York Lions. Ryerson looked strong to begin the game, opening with a quick 10-3 run that Bronwyn Williams capped off with a turnaround jump shot. Third-year guard Cynthia Dupont (Coaticook, QC) checked into the game and made an instant impact and finished the first with seven points. Dupont's willingness to drive the ball sparked a scoring outburst from center Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON), who scored eight points in final four minutes of the quarter to give Carleton an 18-16 lead.

After being limited in the first quarter due to early foul trouble, guard Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON) caught fire in the second and scored the Ravens' first six points of the frame. A three by Gilmore boosted Carleton's lead to as many as nine points midway through the frame, but Ryerson made a run of its own to trim the deficit. The Rams rode seven timely points from Emma Fraser and a 12-8 run to bring themselves to within striking distance, down just 37-32 at halftime.

The seesaw style of play spilled over into the second-half. Back-to-back scores by Williams and Sofia Paska brought the Rams to within 41-38, to which Traer and Lindsay answered with consecutive baskets of their own. But the Rams would not go down quietly. Marin Scotten calmly nailed a three-pointer and Paska deposited a soft hook shot off the backboard to bring Ryerson back to within 45-43. Cara Tiemens converted an and-one at the 3:17 mark to knot the score at 51-51. With the lead very much in question, Dupont proved steady as per usual by hitting a three to put Carleton back on top. Traer followed suit with a three of her own before a layup by Cerino solidified a 59-53 lead for the Ravens entering the fourth quarter.

After trading scores throughout the games, head coach Taffe Charles' squad gathered their defensive bearings and buckled down in the final quarter. The Ravens outscored the Rams 23-13 in the fourth to pull ahead for good as part of an eventual 82-66 victory.

Fifth-year guard Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) sat out the game with an injury, but was a vocal and supportive presence on the Ravens' bench.

"It was hard to not have her playing, but we wanted to save her. She helped our backup point guards a lot by watching film with them and she's a really great teammate on the bench too," Cerino said.

Source: Carleton Ravens