Marquee Matchup: Capital Hoops Classic brings bounty of basketball talent to latest edition of iconic rivalry
Ottawa – Top-tier talent is set to hit the hardwood in a big way on Friday night when a pair of powerhouse schools come together for not one, but two top-10 tilts in one of the most iconic rivalries in university sport. The Capital Hoops Classic will once again bring the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees together for a double dose of must-see matchups – OUA Marquee Matchups, in fact – and with all four teams jockeying for position ahead of what they hope are lengthy playoff runs, victories will be incredibly value once those final buzzers sound.
Kicking off the annual festivities, which can be seen live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app, and oua.tv, will be the women’s game, featuring the No. 9 Ravens and the No. 2 Gee-Gees going toe-to-toe for a second time this season. And although the second half of the season still has a few games remaining, their last encounter – a 66-49 win by Ottawa – came as the final note in the fall semester schedule. A balanced attack from the victors earned them the bragging rights in that one, with five players scoring in double-digits for the Garnet and Grey; something the team has grown accustomed to this season.
Two of those leading scorers were Brooklynn McAlear-Fanus and Katherine Follis, which has been par for the course for the dynamic pair this season. The former finds herself in and among the conference leaders in multiple categories, including points per game (16.4; T4th in OUA) and assists per game (6.8; 2nd in OUA). The reigning first-team OUA all-star has maintained her status as one of the nation’s top talents, utilizing her all-around game to break down defences, score at will, and set up her teammates. A highlight for her this season came last month when she reached rarified territory by posting a triple-double, a feat emblematic of her on-court capabilities.
Follis, meanwhile, registered a 13-point, six-rebound stat line against their crosstown rivals in their December meeting, which has helped anchor her solid individual numbers for the year. In fact, the transfer from Ryerson has put up career-best numbers across the board, highlighted by a nation-leading success rate from the field (60.9 FG%). Her ability to disrupt opposing defences across the OUA is nearly unmatched and she will look for continued success in that regard to kick off Friday night’s fiery matchup against another national powerhouse.
Finding success against their ranked opponents is nothing new for Ottawa this season; an impressive accolade given the number of top teams residing in Ontario. After being shaken by injuries earlier in the season, the Gee-Gees have galloped to 13 straight wins heading into their Capital Hoops clash, including six against seeded teams. Much of this success is due to their OUA-leading 79.7 points per game, 41.9 field goal percentage, as well as second-ranked marks in assists, turnovers, blocks, and opponents field goal percentage. All of these numbers will surely be put to the test once again; however, when the black birds fly into this highly anticipated affair.
Like Ottawa, the Ravens have relied on a pair of seasoned players to help them soar this season. One of these key contributors, Alyssa Cerino, poured in a game-high 15 points against Ottawa to close out the first half of the season, while the other, Madison Reid (Carleton Place, Ont.), didn’t play. Having the latter back in the fold for Capital Hoops, especially after seeing her miss most of the first half due to injury, should give the Ravens a big boost as they look to even the season series and get back some momentum heading into the postseason.
Since returning to the Ravens’ lineup, Reid hasn’t missed a beat, putting up 12 points per contest on nearly 26 minutes per game. She has been a workhorse on the floor and has proven to be a terrific running mate to the team’s leading scorer. Cerino, the veteran from Stoney Creek, Ont., has been as integral a figure as you can find for any team this season. The fifth-year senior is Carleton’s leader in points per game (16.0), rebounds per game (7.5), and blocks per game (0.9), while ranking second in assists and steals per contest. Needless to say, her presence has helped the Ravens soar and the team will turn to their veteran leader for another exemplary performance to not only help them earn the win against Ottawa, but right the ship on the recent stretch.
Despite coming in having lost four of their last five, the Ravens have shown an ability to reel off wins. They started their campaign with victories in nine of their first 10 outings, and even though the triumphs haven’t come quite as easily in the second half, they remain a consistent dweller in the U SPORTS ranks. Much of this success has been due to their defensive prowess, as they sit atop the conference when it comes to limiting opponents, holding teams to just 57.5 points per game. So while their offence falls in the middle of the OUA pack, their stingy play on the other end of the floor has been a lynchpin to keeping them in the conversation for another Critelli Cup run.
Deciding a winner in the night’s opening tilt certainly won’t come easy, especially when putting the OUA’s best offence against its stingiest defence. But once the opening chapter of the OUA marquee matchup tips off, it will be all systems go on both ends of the floor to find out who prevails in this battle of the unstoppable force and the immovable object.
Much to the delight of basketball fans across the country, however, the second half of the double-header promises just as much intrigue, as the top seed in the country, Carleton, prepares to do battle with the No. 6 Gee-Gees.
When talking about unstoppable forces, it is hard to describe the nation’s number one seed as anything but. No team has been able to disrupt Carleton’s winning ways this season, as the reigning provincial and national champs seem poised for another lengthy postseason presence. These ambitions are well anchored in their conference-leading 97.8 points per game, not to mention their OUA-best mark of under 65 points allowed.
Despite the lofty numbers, however, they will tip off their Friday night contest against one of just two other OUA teams who also find themselves ranked in the top-five on both sides of the ball. Ottawa is limiting teams to just 70.1 PPG and pouring in nearly 86 points of their own, which should make for a compelling competition on both ends of the floor in the teams’ second and final meeting.
When dissecting the Ravens’ roster, they have once again been able to top the nation with a balanced attack, but they can turn to both a veteran and a newcomer as two of the more proficient pieces in their arsenal.
Yasiin Joseph (Ottawa, Ont.) has proven once again this season to be one of the most reliable players in the country. His 20+ minutes per game offer the Ravens a steady presence and a leader on the floor, all while serving up an average of 14 points per outing as well. He is joined by an equally impressive first-year player, whose foray into the university game has been as smooth as it gets. Lloyd Pandi (Ottawa, Ont.), the OUA leader in field goal percentage (66.7 FG%) and team in leader in points (16.7) and rebounds (6.7) per game, has made an immediate impact on the veteran-laden roster. His strong first impression has also helped him stay on the court for the championship-calibre club, as he leads the Carleton crew with over 23 minutes per game in his rookie campaign.
Joseph and Pandi are certainly two of the more prominent producers for the Ravens, but they by no means do it alone. As has become customary for Carleton, they use their bench on a regular basis, with 11 players averaging over 12 minutes of court-time per game and 10 contributing over five points per game. The number of options available to the perennial powerhouse makes it tough to reel in the high-flying Ravens, which helps explain how they combine to shoot over 50% from the field, nearly 40% from downtown, and turn the ball over just 10.7 times per game. They take care of the ball when they have it and are active on the glass and in creating turnovers when they don’t. All of these assets have given teams headaches this season when trying to match up with the juggernaut squad, but Ottawa hopes they have they have found a winning formula.
The Gee-Gees will be the latest team tasked with upending their nation’s capital neighbours, something they almost managed to do in their first meeting. And even though they are coming in with 15 wins in tow and have already matched their win total from a year ago, Ottawa will be wanting more, especially after that first tilt with Carleton came right down to the wire in December. Dropping the slim 69-65 decision has offered up a little extra motivation for Friday’s hosts, who are looking to make a statement at the impressive TD Place. Even with the change in venue to a bigger stage, Ottawa will nevertheless turn to the heart and soul of their team for a leading performance.
Fifth-year point guard Calvin Epistola has posted career highs in his final season; a campaign he hopes culminates in the Gee-Gees’ first national title. The Toronto, Ont. native has emerged as one of the most consistent performers night in and night out across the OUA, thanks to his ability to distribute, defend at an all-star level, and score in bunches; a notion he epitomized in his 30-point performance against Carleton in their lone meeting this year.
Epistola, who has shone while winding down his university tenure, will also be joined by Guillaume Pépin (Montréal, Que.) in their quest to hand Carleton their first loss, and he’ll look to add to his budding OUA résumé. The reigning Rookie of the Year has demonstrated an all-star level of play in his sophomore season, and after seeing the start of his second season delayed by injury, he has been a key cog in Ottawa’s on-court machine. Not only has Pépin averaged 14.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG on the year, but his contributions have helped lessen the load on the shoulders of Epistola, a role that will surely come in handy on Friday and beyond in their quest for a hardware-filled postseason.
Despite both teams being guaranteed a spot in this year’s Final 8, neither side has taken their season lightly, each boasting aspirations to earn their spot the old-fashioned way. And just like that overall outlook, neither the Carleton Ravens nor Ottawa Gee-Gees will head into their upcoming encounter with an eye on what lies ahead, but rather an unwavering focus on their in-town rivals as part of what promises to be another instant-classic in the iconic event.
Fans won’t want to miss a second of this double-header doozy, which is set to tip off at 6:00pm for the women’s game and 8:00pm for the men’s contest. To catch all of the action from TD Place and see how these titanic top-10 tilts play out, CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app, and oua.tv have you covered.
