OTTAWA (Mar. 2, 2024) - The Carleton Ravens women's basketball team are back-to-back Critelli Cup champions after winning the OUA championship game 63-55 over the Queen's Gaels.
The Ravens pulled out to an 18-point first-half lead before the Gaels battled back in the second half. The Ravens weathered the pressure from the visitors as Queen's cut the lead to two before the Ravens pulled away in the final 3:56.
The Ravens shook off their recent tendency of slow starts and shot out to an 8-0 lead as they built their sizeable first-half lead. Julia Chadwick (Ottawa, Ont.) had four of the Gaels' six points in the first quarter as Kali Pocrnic (Oakville, Ont.) was sensational in the opening ten minutes with six points and three rebounds.
Gaels starters combined for 10 points in the second quarter which wasn't enough to close the gap as Teresa Donato (Ottawa, Ont.) continued her hot play scoring 9 in the quarter.
After the break, the Gaels were a different team, holding Carleton to one point for the first six minutes of the third quarter before the top seed started to settle down. Laura Donovan continued to pound her way inside for the Gaels and earned four free throws, making good on three. By the end of the third, the Gaels had cut the Ravens lead to eight.
They would continue to chip away at the lead in the third, until finally bringing it within two. With the Gaels knocking at the door, it was the Milk to Go Player of the Game who stepped up big for Carleton, as she's done so much throughout her career, Kali Pocrnic nailed a pair of threes in the final three minutes to put Carleton ahead by six.
The Ravens would put an exclamation mark on their second straight OUA title when Dorcas Buisa went one-for-two at the free throw line but managed to grab her own rebound and put it back with a layup to put the team ahead by seven.
The Ravens are now the first team to repeat as Critelli Cup champions since 2018 when they completed their first back-to-back run as OUA champions.
The Ravens' season will continue next week when they compete at the U SPORTS Final 8 in Edmonton, Alberta.
