OTTAWA - After a critical overtime win on Friday night, the Ravens came out hot against the Western Mustangs and started the game on an 8-0 run en route to a 63-53 victory.
With Kali Porcnic (Oakville, Ont.) providing 6 points from beyond the arc and 11 points in the opening quarter as the Ravens took a 21-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
“Not letting another team come into your building and set the tone is something you need to be able to do and we did a better job of that” expressed Head Coach Dani Sinclair on their start to the game today.
The Ravens held their lead throughout the second with solid minutes coming from Pocrnic, Dorcas Buisa (Gatineau, Que.), Kyana Jade Poulin (Brossard, Que.), Jacqueline Urban (Ancaster, Ont.), and Florence Fortin (Sainte-Marie, Que.) as they held Western to 33.3% from the field and forced 7 turnovers. With both teams executing at either end for 10 minutes, the Ravens led 35-31 going into the half.
The third quarter featured the Ravens' strong play on both ends of the floor while they went back and forth with the Mustangs. A very physical quarter with not a lot of fouls resulted in the Ravens scoring 12 points, dishing out 3 assists and grabbing 14 rebounds, while holding the Mustangs to only allowing 6 points and 2 field goals in the quarter to take a 47-37 lead.
Entering the final 10 minutes, the Ravens looked to close out the game by remaining consistent on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Florence Fortin (Sainte-Marie, Que.) finished with 10 points for the Ravens off the bench, 5 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Alongside Fortin (Sainte-Marie, Que.), Urban (Ancaster, Ont.) had 4 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks and Poulin (Brossard, Que.) had 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, both being fundamental players in the Ravens win tonight.
The Ravens now welcome the Algoma Thunderbirds (0-8) on December 4th at 2pm at the Ravens Nest. Coach Sinclair looks to keep the momentum going into next week by “understanding the importance of every game.” She added that “in this league, just about anybody, can beat anybody, on any given night.”