The Carleton Ravens women's basketball team found their rhythm with a pair of road wins over York and McMaster.
The Ravens were able to pull ahead early on Friday before the Lions battled back in the second quarter. A back-and-forth contest, both teams went on big runs in a wild opening half before Abany Deng finished the half with a layup for a five-point lead at the break.
Carleton would lead by as much as nine in the third before the Lions battled back. A pair of threes by Kyana-Jade Poulin in the third quarter helped to fend off a Lions surge, and Carleton pulled ahead by 12 before finishing the third up 56-45.
York exploded to open the fourth, going on a 10-0 run before Poulin hit a jumper late in the quarter to lead by three. After York missed a pair of threes of their own, the Lions were forced to foul down the stretch with Deng, Arek Akeg and Jacqueline Urban all going 2-2 from the line to secure the 64-58 victory.
The Ravens continued establish themselves on Saturday night with Kyana-Jade Poulin scoring 27 points, including 15 in the first half, as the Ravens beat McMaster 78-55. After Carleton led 23-17 after ten minutes, the Marauders battled to keep pace in the second, but a pair of buckets in the final minute of the half by Tyanne Matosas-Adderley helped Carleton enter the half up six.
McMaster didn't back down to start the third, scoring a pair of baskets in the opening minute before the Ravens veterans led the takeover. With Poulin and Urban heating up, Carleton led by 7 midway through the third, and had extended the lead to 14 after 30 minutes.
The Ravens were dominant on the glass throughout the contest, hauling in 56 of 89 rebounds and outscoring McMaster 34-14 in the paint.
Carleton has a unique weekend ahead with the annual Shoot for the Cure game at home on Friday night before heading to Algoma for a Sunday morning contest with the Thunderbirds.
