EDMONTON (Mar. 6, 2024) - The Carleton Ravens face the University of Fraser Valley Cascades on Thursday in the opening game of the U SPORTS Final 8 presented by The Westin Edmonton. The meeting will be the first of significance between the two programs that only met in preseason competition. Game one of the tournament tips off at 12:30 MST/2:30 EST.
The Ravens enter the championship tournament as the number two seed, despite being ranked first for most of the year, but are the defending U SPORTS champions after winning last year's tournament in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
The Cascades were the seventh-ranked team when the final U SPORTS rankings were released on February 20th. The Cascades went 2-1 in the Canada West playoffs beating Regina in the quarterfinals before falling to top-seed Saskatchewan by 34 points. The Cascades clinched their birth to the tournament beating Victoria by 22 in the Canada West bronze medal game.
UFV is led by guard Maddy Gobeil and the sister-duo of Julia and Deanna Tuchscherer. Gobeil 17.6 points per game led the team, while both sisters averaged over ten points per game. The three players were also the only Cascades to break 80 rebounds for the season.
The Cascades make their return to the tournament for the first time in 10 years, since appearing in four straight tournaments from 2011-2014.
The Ravens return to the tournament with all but one member of last year's championship rotation. With Emma Kiesekamp now playing professionally in Europe, Tatyanna Burke has returned from academic exchange and continued her strong defensive play.
Leading into the playoffs, Teresa Donato, Dorcas Buisa and Burke all stepped up big around Ravens' guard Kali Pocrnic to create an impressive tiered attack. While Pocrnic has led the charge with 25.0 points per game, Donato is just behind the Oakville product with 18.0 points of her own.
Jacqueline Urban's 24-point game against Ottawa in the semifinals and Donato's six assists clinched the Ravens' tournament birth. While Buisa has quietly scored 10.0 points per game in the playoffs including putting up a pair of career highs with 16 points and 12 rebounds against McMaster in the quarters.
