Sudbury, Ont. — The Ravens made a powerful return to the court in a tight match against the Laurentian Voyageurs. But, the team lost their lead within the final minutes of the game with a final score of 61-59 Laurentian. Cheers echoed through the gym, not from fans but players encouraging their teammates from the bench.
The Ravens started strong. The players worked together to stop the Voyageurs from getting to the net. Majrijke Duralia (Chilliwack, B.C.) maintained her focus during the first quarter despite pressure from the other team. Duralia finished the game shooting 6 of 10 field goals from the paint. The first quarter wrapped up with the Ravens leading 23-14.
Tatyanna Burke (Winona, Ont.) led the team's defence during the second quarter. Burke had an impressive night on both sides of the court. She finished the game with a notable ten rebounds. Burke was aggressive as she drove to the basket for a bank-shot layup towards the end of the quarter. The Ravens headed to halftime up by five points with a 37-32 score. The Ravens were down on their luck when shooting in the third quarter. The team shot 4 of 15 from the two-point range. The third quarter finished 50-46 with Laurentian in the lead.
Kali Pocrnic (Oakville, Ont.) was the team's highest scorer. Despite the challenging game, Pocrnic finished with a 23 point high.
The Ravens kept up their defensive strategies during the fourth quarter, like double-teaming their opponents. Both coaches were dynamic, mentoring their teams through the game's final seconds. Ultimately, the Ravens failed to slow down and shoot the ball. Coach Dani Sinclair called a great play towards the end of the fourth quarter leading to the tying basket. But, the Ravens left time on the clock allowing Laurentian to regain the lead.
"When we were talking, communicating and had, you know, energy on the fence, we're able to cause some of those turnovers and then get easy baskets at the other end," said Sinclair on the team's successes throughout the game.
During the break, the players trained together virtually. Despite the distance, the Ravens continued to practice and maintain their synergy. Coach Sinclair encouraged players to rest up in preparation for future games.
"Hopefully, we can use our bench tomorrow to be able to regroup and have a good one tomorrow," said Sinclair.
The Carleton Ravens will return to the Ben Avery Gym at three o'clock Saturday for a re-match against the Laurentian Voyageurs.
