Photo by Marc Lafleur
Friday night marked another victory for the Carleton Ravens. The team won their third regular-season game against Ontario Tech with a score of 82-50 Carleton.
The team controlled the board throughout the game with Madison Reid (Carleton Place, ON) dominating the court, finishing the game with a total of 21 points, with 15 points coming from the three-point line. The first quarter ended with a score of 26-14 Carleton. The Ravens having controlled the board throughout the second quarter. Emma Kiesekamp (Merrickville, ON) finished the game with a total of 14 rebounds. The half ended with a score of 43-29 Carleton.
The Ravens continued with their player-to-player defensive strategies during the third quarter. slow the Ridgebacks on route to a 63-29 lead. Tatyana Burke (Winona, ON) was a key player as she led her team throughout the game. Over the past two weeks, Burke and her team have been practicing and staying sharp. “Having the break, we worked on a lot of stuff. And that’s how we were preparing for the season,” said Burke.
Burke is not afraid to go against her opponents in the key and reach in for the ball finishing the game with a total of 10 rebounds. In the final quarter, the Ravens continued their success totaling 26 defensive rebounds. The Ravens spent the past two weeks improving their defensive technique. Coach Dani Sinclair hopes they can maintain this energy throughout the entire season. “I think just continuing to build on, you know, getting better every day,” said the coach on future games.
During the game, Sinclair saw an improvement from her team. “Obviously, there’s lots of good signs there and good play from a lot of people. And I think we were able to show a little bit of depth tonight, which was nice,” said Sinclair.
On Saturday afternoon, the Ravens returned to the court for a return match against Ontario Tech. The Ravens would repeat their success from the night before beat the Ridgebacks by 24, 83-59. In the first quarter, Emma Kiesekamp (Merrickville, ON) played strong defence keep the Ridgebacks out of the fight. Kiesekamp’s high-pressure defense forced two turnovers during the game and while also shooting five of six from field goal range.
Emma Huff (Chelsea, QC) scored a three-point buzzer-beater at the end of the second quarter to finish the half with Carleton in the lead by 40-28. After halftime, the team focused on keeping their advantage with a strong offence. Huff would also finish the game with nine rebounds.
A shining light on the offensive side of the ball, Oceane Kounkou (Gatineau, QC) was instrumental in helping to seal the team’s victory.
Kisenkamp has been with the team for four seasons. After the game, she noted the importance of communication on the court. “We do still have lots of work in terms of communication. And I think that’s something that’s on the front of our minds. We want to get better at it because it’s so important,” Kisenkamp explained.
Coach Dani Sinclair noted the improvement in the team’s performance. “It’s a marathon, right, and we’re going to have ups and downs,” Sinclair explained. She encouraged her players to remain vigilant while playing defence. “I thought we took a couple of charges early in the second half. I think everything comes back to just being able to play consistently,” said Sinclair. The coach is preparing the team for their next game on the road. The Ravens will head to Toronto to face off against the York Lions for their fifth regular-season game. The game will take place on Friday, November 21st at 5:00 p.m.
