Carleton Ravens, Canada’s top-ranked team, defeated OUA East Division rival Queen’s Gaels 63-55 to win the Critelli Cup for the second straight year.
Kali Pocrnic, 2023-24 OUA first-team all-star, led the reigning U SPORTS National Champions with a game-high 20 points, scoring six in the first quarter.
The fourth-year guard began the game on fire, draining two of her six made three-pointers in the opening three minutes, leading the Ravens to an 8-0 run to start the game.
It wasn’t until the midway point of the first that Queen’s got on the board, but points were hard to come by for the Gaels in the opening quarter. The Ravens did a fantastic job on the defensive end, registering three steals and two blocks, forcing the Gaels to take low-percentage shots.
As such, Queen’s shot an abysmal 14.3 per cent (2-14) in the quarter, while Carleton shot 31.3 per cent (5-16), leading to a 13-6 lead after one.
In the second, the Gaels’ Laura Donovan – who led her team with 18 points – nailed a three a minute-and-a-half in cutting the Queen’s deficit to six, but it was the closest they’d come in the second quarter.
Carleton’s Teresa Donato was the focal point of the Ravens offence in the second, scoring nine of her 15 points in the frame, including four field goals.
The Ravens outscored the Gaels 23-12 in the second, taking a commanding 36-18 halftime lead.
However, the Gaels, destined to avenge their losses to Carleton in last season’s Critelli Cup and National Championship, started the third on a 9-1 run as their stars finally showed up.
Donovan kickstarted the comeback attempt, opening the quarter scoring one of her team-high three triples while Bella Gaudet contributed with five of her nine points in the frame. On the glass, Julia Chadwick was tenacious, securing six rebounds in the quarter, finishing the game with a double-double (14 points and 17 rebounds).
Gaudet, the OUA leader in three-point percentage during the regular season at 43.1 per cent, nailed a crucial three in the final minute of the third, cutting the deficit to eight, before a late Ravens bucket restored their double-digit lead, 44-34, entering the fourth.
In the fourth, the teams traded baskets through the opening five minutes until a 5-0 run by the Gaels cut the deficit to three – the closest the score was all game.
But Pocrnic, the four-time all-star, quickly reimposed Carleton’s two-possession lead draining a pivotal three-pointer, erupting the Raven’s Nest. Yet, moments later, Chadwick nailed a pair of free throws to get Queen’s back within three, 56-53, before Pocrnic once again scored from beyond the arc, solidifying the victory.
The Ravens held on to win 63-55 and claim their fourth OUA women’s basketball title in school history.
Both the Carleton Ravens and Queen’s Gaels will head to Edmonton, A.B. to compete in the U SPORTS National Championship from March 7th to 10th. For more information on OUA women’s basketball, head to oua.ca.
