Ravens Sports Info (Photo: Robin Kasem)
Kingston, Ont. (Feb. 22, 2025) - An explosive third quarter was the difference on Saturday afternoon as the Queen’s Gaels beat the Ravens men’s basketball team 86-83 to eliminate the Ravens from the OUA playoffs.
The Carleton Ravens started strong, breaking down the Queen’s pressing and stretching the court. The Ravens' offence was dynamic, hitting 7 three-pointers in the first half while finding a rhythm in the paint.
The Gaels clawed back in the second quarter, cutting the lead to one before Daniel Smith (Winnipeg, Man.) drained a corner three in the final minute to put Carleton ahead by four. Aaron Tennant missed a pair of free throws before Smith nailed a buzzer-beater to pull ahead 44-37 at the break. Okado, Domac, and Luka Syllas of the Gaels all had 9 first-half points.
Daniel Smith and Emanual Milon had 8 each for Carleton, and rookie Ollie Engen also had 8 for the Gaels. Milon led all players with 5 rebounds in the first 20 minutes as Carleton led the Gaels 20-14 on the boards, outscoring them 8-0 on second-chance plays. With Okado, Domac, and Smith all playing key roles for the Ravens, the bench also helped Carleton build the lead by outscoring their hosts 28-13.
It was a different story in the third quarter as Luka Syllas led the Gaels' offence and Queen’s rallied, outscoring Carleton 29-16. The Gaels went 12-18 in the quarter as they flipped the lead and pulled ahead despite Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alta.) dropping 8 points in the frame.
Carleton rallied multiple times in the fourth, but Syllas and Engen each scored six points, leaving the Ravens down three with seconds on the clock. Under pressure, Xavier Spencer put up what looked to be a game-tying three at the buzzer, but it nicked the front iron and fell short.
