Carleton, Nova Scotia bound, in W over Laurier
Top Performers:
Carleton: Philip Scrubb–23 points, 3 assists, 2 steals
Laurier: Kale Harrison—26 points
HAMILTON,ON–March Madness was in full bloom at McMaster University on Friday night as the Laurier Golden Hawks took flight against the Carleton Ravens. Laurier looked to end Carleton’s three-year Wilson Cup winning streak, as well as their season-long undefeated streak (22-0) in front of a packed crowd, most of which, Laurier fans.
Led by their sharp-shooting senior, Kale Harrison, the Golden Hawks got off to a hot start, bringing many fans to their feet and pushing the Ravens back on their heels. The key, however, to Laurier’s strong start was their defensive intensity, especially the way they defended the rim from the powerful Carleton offence. With the lightning-quick Philip Scrubb manning the point, and Tyson Hinz and Cole Hobin bringing the heat down low, Carleton had its of share of easy looks at the hoop, but didn’t look comfortable against the swarming Laurier defence. The Golden Hawks took a 47-44 lead into the half in what was a very evenly-contested start.
In the second half, the Golden Hawks started to pull away. Using excellent ball movement, the Hawks kept finding open looks and burying jumpers, with the explosive freshman Jamar Forde setting the tone. With the Ravens’ offensive cohesiveness being non-existent, it looked like the 22-0 powerhouse was about to be the victim of an upset. That’s when the tide began to turn, however.
With Philip Scrubb and Cole Hobin doing their best LeBron-DWade impressions, the Carleton offence began shredding the Laurier defence, drive after drive. Capped off by Tyson Hinz’s power game in the post, and the offensive spark provided by the athletic guard Willy Manigat, the Ravens quickly erased a double-digit deficit and pulled even. At the same time, the Laurier offence became stagnant in a hurry. The team that had been moving the ball remarkably well all game seemed to get caught up in the pressure of the moment, and forgot what had propelled them to push Carleton to the brink. A series of turnovers and ill-advised shots gave the Ravens all the time they needed to keep pounding away, and in the end, Carleton pulled away with an 83-76 win.
The game’s MVP was Carleton’s Philip Scrubb, who had 23 points to go along with 3 assists and 2 steals. Tyson Hinz chipped in with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Cole Hobin and Willy Manigat finished with 15 and 16 points, respectively.
Kale Harrison finished with a game-high 26 points in the Hawks’ losing cause, while Jamar Forde ended up with 11 points. Big man Matthew Buckley turned in the teams’ only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The stage is now set for Saturday’s final, as Carleton takes on Lakehead University in what should be a classic Wilson Cup Final matchup!
