OTTAWA - The Carleton Ravens women's basketball team overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to win the 2024 Capital Hoops Classic on Friday night.
Carleton started well but struggled from beyond the arc in the first quarter. Shooting just 20% from deep, the Ravens who were forced into 5 turnovers in the quarter trailed by 2 at the break. Kali Pocrnic led the way for Carleton with 6 points in the first while Jacqueline Urban and Tatyanna Burke each had 5.
The Ravens' struggles came to a head in the second quarter. After Szczokin and Saumure both hit two threes in the first, Allie McCarthy scored 8 points in the second as the Gee-Gees looked to be pulling away. Carleton's biggest struggles of the first half came in ball control where they turned the ball over 12 times in the opening 20 minutes.
In the third, the Ravens looked more like the team that won the National Championship last season, shooting 61% while defensively grinding the Gee-Gees out. Carleton would hold Ottawa to 22% shooting and force six turnovers while Pocrnic scored 8 points and 3 assists while the Ravens pulled away.
Pocrnic and Dorcas Buisa got hot from beyond the arc in the third, with Kali hitting a massive three with six minutes to play in the third to start the comeback. Carleton wouldn't let up in the fourth, with Hadeza Ismaila scoring from inside just three minutes into the quarter to put Carleton ahead for the first time all game.
The Ravens would never look back hitting on a short run to pull ahead before McCarthy hit another strong three. It seemed the game was going to be back-and-forth from this point on, but Dorcas Buisa quickly drained a three to renew the lead and Carleton would cause three turnovers in the final 2:46 as they went on to lock down the six-point lead.
The victory marks the second time in as many years that Carleton has one by six, while also behind the Ravens' third straight win at Capital Hoops. Carleton now hosts Toronto and TMU next weekend before finishing the regular season on the road at Ontario Tech and Queen's.
