The Carleton Ravens men's basketball team will put their three-game winning streak on the line when they host Laurier on Friday night. The fourth-ranked Golden Hawks are winners of six straight holding a 12-2 record. On Saturday, the 6-8 Waterloo Warriors will look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they enter the Nest.
Friday's matchup has been circled on many U SPORTS calendars this season as the Golden Hawks continue to stand above the crowd in the West. Laurier plays at an incredibly high tempo that sees them lead the OUA in shots and three-point shots per game. Taye Donald is the leader Laurier, averaging 22.6 points in over 34 minutes per night. Nana Boateng leads a mid-level rebounding team with 7.6 per game.
The Golden Hawks needed double-overtime to beat Lakehead last weekend, but still have not list since Guelph upset them in late November.
Saturday, the Waterloo Warriors wrap up the weekend, as the Ravens host a Zero-Waste Game. Carleton hopes they don't waste their opportunity with a Warriors team who have struggled of late. Losers of four straight, Waterloo has won just two of their last eight games, and are 4-6 in their last ten. Waterloo hasn't put up big points this season, sitting tied for 16th in the league in scoring, but defend very well, holding opponents to 70.3 points per game.
The Warriors' scoring comes by committee, three players have scored 10 or more points per game, Raf Llorin, Josh Akuamoah and Christian Craciun while Stefan Djukic and Isaac Wasta aren't far behind with over nine per game.
Carleton has been led by rookie guard Xavier Spencer. Spencer has had a fantastic season thus far averaging 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Up front, newcomers Noah Horobetz Simpson and rookie Augustas Brazdeikis have cleaned up the glass for Carleton. Brazdeikis is two rebounds shy of 100 on the season and only 25 back on Aaron Doornekamp for second all-time by a rookie. The top spot you ask? An unbelievable 193 rebounds by 1978-79 rookie Tom Cholock.
