Banner Season: Wilson Cup to be decided between nation's capital combatants
Burlington, Ont. (via David DiCenzo) – Hoops are king in the capital of our country. There’s no debate. The Ontario University Athletics men’s basketball champion is guaranteed to come out of Ottawa when the province’s two best teams meet in a fight for the coveted banner. The top-ranked Carleton Ravens host the crosstown rival Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Wilson Cup, presented by Milk2Go Sport, on Saturday, March 4th.
Championship Details
When: Saturday, March 4 (8:00pm)
Where: Ravens’ Nest (Carleton University)
Participating Schools (2): Carleton Ravens (host), Ottawa Gee-Gees
Watch: oua.tv / cbcsports.ca / CBC Gem
Defending Champions: Brock Badgers
Campus proximity isn’t the only reason this championship matchup is so tasty. The two teams dominated the OUA’s East Division and it’s only fitting that the championship is decided between them. The Wilson Cup also marks their third meeting in just the past month. Carleton took both with a 67-61 win at the Capital Hoops Classic on February 3rd and a decisive 77-60 victory in the OUA regular season finale 12 days later.
The powerful Ravens have their sights set on a third straight W over their local rival, not just for Ottawa bragging rights, but also to re-establish their championship tradition. Carleton’s historic program won 12 OUA banners in a span of 18 years, but has been on the outside for the last three, which included the canceled 2020 season and last year’s title run from the Brock Badgers.
Carleton, ranked No. 1 in the nation, is primed for a return to glory. Head coach Taffe Charles’ team finished atop the OUA East with an 18-4 record, including seven consecutive W’s to close the season. They got the job done at both ends, showing no hesitation to attack from beyond the arc (a league-best 37.1 per cent from three-point range) and controlling their own glass (OUA-highs of 30.6 defensive boards per game and 12.9 total rebound margin). The Ravens’ D is sharp, too, as they topped the conference by allowing opponents just 37.1 per cent shooting from the floor.
Fourth-year man and first team all-star Aiden Warnholtz was a key to Carleton’s success. The do-everything guard led the team in scoring at 17 PPG (12th in the OUA), while finishing second in the league with 6.6 assists per game. Warnholtz was a lock at the line, making 85.7 per cent of his free throws. He was also honoured with the prestigious Ken Shields Award, given to the player who combines excellence in basketball, academics, and community involvement. While Warnholtz took care of things on the perimeter, Carleton enjoyed an inside presence with Grant Shephard. The 6-10 forward, who was named a second-team all-star, contributed 14.8 PPG and ranked fifth in the OUA with 10 RPG. But the veteran duo got a boost from first-year guard Marjok Okado. Okado secured a spot on the OUA all-rookie team by averaging 9 PPG and 2.9 RPG, while shooting 43.7 per cent from the arc and 81.8 per cent from the free-throw line.
After earning a bye, Carleton kicked off the postseason with a big 97-84 quarterfinal win over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Shephard went off for 32 points and nine rebounds, while third-year guard Connor Vreeken added 20 points. Three more Ravens hit double digits – Warnholtz had 17 and Okado and forward Elliot Bailey each registered 13. It was much tighter against the Queen’s Gaels in the semifinal, which Carleton trailed late in the fourth quarter. Down 81-78 with just 2:03 left, Okado buried two free throws to get his team within a point, before adding two more huge makes moments later for an 84-81 lead. Warnholtz made five straight from the line to ice it and secure a berth in the title game. He finished with a team-high 23 points, while Shephard added 22.
Ottawa, No. 3 in the country, is a worthy finalist. Head coach James Derouin’s team enjoyed a great OUA regular season, going 17-5 on the year with an exciting, aggressive brand of ball. The Gee-Gees paced the league in both three-pointers attempted per game (32) and made (10.5), while finishing second in steals per contest (10). They also crashed the offensive boards with energy, ranking third in the OUA with 13 RPG in the opposition’s end.
There’s no shortage of talent on the Ottawa roster. Fourth-year forward Guilliame Pépin earned first-team all-star honours by leading the team in scoring at 15.9 PPG. Junior guard Dragan Stajic was a third-team all-star after filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis, scoring 9 PPG, 7 RPG, and a team-high 6.3 APG (third overall in the OUA). And first-year swingman Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta was a revelation, adding 7.2 PPG and 3.7 RPG, while shooting 85.7 per cent from the line on his way to earning a spot on the all-rookie team.
These Gee-Gees are also battle-tested after surviving a couple of playoff nailbiters. Guard Cole Newton was massive in Ottawa’s 73-72 quarterfinal win over Toronto Metropolitan, scoring 22 points. But fourth-year guard Kevin Otoo was the hero. The Gee-Gees trailed 72-69 with 1:04 left when Pépin set up a Brock Newton jumper to get within a point. Newton then stole the ball with 39 seconds on the clock and assisted on Otoo’s game-winning bucket to get Ottawa through to the next round. In the semifinal, the Gee-Gees went down to the wire with the Windsor Lancers before Otoo came up clutch again. With the game tied 74-74, he sank the go-ahead jumper late to take the lead, before ending the game with an emphatic dunk in a big 79-74 win. Otoo led the team with 18 points.
The Ravens possess championship DNA and enter the Wilson Cup intent on adding a 13th OUA banner to their unprecedented haul over the last 20 years. They had won three straight prior to the canceled 2020 campaign. For Ottawa, there wouldn’t be a better script than knocking off their capital rival for a third OUA title. Whatever the result, the cup will stay in the nation’s capital for another year.
