Carleton
      Takes
      Home
      the
     
     
      Honours
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Quentin
      CASEY,
      The
      ce
     
     
      Gazette
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HALIFAX
      (CUP)
      --
      When
      one
      thinks
      of
     
    

    
     
      national
      athletic
      powerhouses
      within
      the
     
    

    
     
      Canadian
      Interuniversity
      Sport
      (CIS),
     
    

    
     
      Carleton
      University
      does
      not
      really
      jump
     
     
      .
      to
      mind.
     
    

    
     
      So
      it
      is
      not
      surprising
      that
      when
     
     
      the
      Ravens
      of
      Carleton
      won
      the
      Final
     
     
      Eight
      basketball
      championship
      at
      the
     
     
      Metro
      Centre
      in
      Halifax
      this
      past
      weekend,
     
     
      it
      was
      their
      first
      CIS
      gold
      medal—in
      any
     
     
      sport.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Ravens
      came
      into
      the
      tourna-
     
     
      ment
      heavily
      favoured
      as
      the
      number-one
     
     
      seed.
      The
      fact
      of
      the
      matter
      was
      they
      had
     
     
      been
      dominant
      all
      year
      long,
      amassing
      an
     
     
      overall
      record
      of
      21-1
      in
      the
      regular
      sea-
     
     
      son.
     
    

    
     
      But
      Carleton
      faced
      a
      hearty
      task
     
     
      in
      Friday's
      last
      quarter-final
      game
      as
      they
     
     
      were
      matched-up
      against
      the
      eighth-seeded
     
     
      University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      (UPEI)
     
     
      Panthers.
      The
      Panthers,
      one
      of
      two
      teams
     
     
      representing
      the
      Atlantic
      University
      Sport
     
     
      (AUS),
      quickly
      sparked
      fan
      support
      from
     
     
      the
      hometown
      crowd.
      The
      Ravens
      strug-
     
     
      gled
      against
      UPEL,
      but
      were
      able
      to
      pull
     
     
      out
      a
      63-60
      overtime
      win.
     
    

    
     
      Michael
      Smart
      led
      the
      Ravens
     
     
      with
      15
      points
      on
      6-of-10
      shooting,
      despite
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      as
      a
      team,
      Carleton
      shot
      a
     
     
      measly
      36.1
      per
      cent
      from
      the
      field.
      Smart
     
     
      emphasized
      that
      his
      team
      had
      been
      suc-
     
     
      cessful
      all
      season
      long
      because
      of
      their
     
     
      well-rounded
      performances.
     
    

    
     
      "We
      shot
      the
      ball
      poorly,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Take
      in
      a
      movie
      at
     
     
      City
      Cinema
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Playing
      this
      Week:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Read
      my
      Lips
     
     
      _
      and
     
     
      Lord
      of
      the
      Rings:
      The
     
     
      Two
      Towers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Times
      and
      Descriptions
      at
     
     
      www.citycinema.net
     
    
   
   
    
     
      368-3669
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      page
      [18]
      March
      26
      2003
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      74
      SOUS
      SEL;
      age
     
    
   
   
    
     
      shooting
      days
      come
      and
      go.
      As
      long
      as
      we
     
     
      defend
      and
      rebound,
      that's
      something
      we
     
     
      can
      control.
      Teams
      have
      a
      hard
      time
      scor-
      -
     
     
      ing
      on
      us,
      if
      we
      defend
      and
      rebound."
     
    

    
     
      Carleton
      beat
      Laval
      University
     
     
      57-54
      in
      another
      close
      game
      on
      Saturday
     
     
      to
      advance
      to
      Sunday's
      final
      against
     
     
      Guelph
      University,
      a
      team
      they
      had
      faced
     
     
      three
      times
      previously
      in
      the
      season,
     
     
      including
      the
      Ontario
      University
      Athletics
     
     
      championship
      game.
     
    

    
     
      The
      final
      proved
      to
      be
      an
      exciting
     
     
      game
      between
      two
      evenly
      matched
      teams.
     
     
      Carleton
      gained
      control
      in
      the
      second
      half
     
     
      and
      held
      a
      slim
      two
      point
      lead
      with
      a
     
     
      minute
      remaining.
     
    

    
     
      Guelph
      squandered
      a
      number
      of
     
     
      chances
      to
      close
      the
      deficit
      from
      the
      foul-
     
     
      line,
      and
      was
      unable
      to
      tie
      the
      game
      with
     
     
      two
      three-point
      attempts
      in
      the
      game's
     
     
      dying
      seconds.
      As
      a
      result,
      the
      Ravens
     
     
      pulled
      out
      the
      57-54
      win,
      a
      reflection
      of
     
     
      both
      the
      balance
      of
      power
      within
      the
      CIS
     
     
      basketball
      ranks
      and
      the
      number
      of
      games
     
     
      throughout
      the
      weekend
      that
      went
      down
      to
     
     
      the
      wire.
     
    

    
     
      Tournament
      MVP
      Osvaldo
      Jeanty
     
     
      led
      the
      Ravens
      with
      17
      points,
      seven
     
     
      rebounds
      and
      four
      assists.
     
    

    
     
      "We
      just
      did
      a
      good
      job
      as
      a
      team
     
     
      together,
      and
      tried
      to
      focus
      on
      everything
     
     
      as
      a
      team.
      Just
      playing
      for
      each
      other
      and
     
     
      getting
      it
      done
      for
      each
      other.
      All
      the
     
     
      peripheral
      stuff
      like
      the
      fans
      and
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      national
      championship
      are
      a
      small
      part
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it.
      But
      the
      fact
      that
      we're
      a
      family
      and
     
     
      doing
      it
      for
      each
      other
      is.
      what
      put
      us
      over
     
     
      the
      top,"
      said
      Carleton
      fifth-year
      guard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Jafeth
      Maseruka,
      who
      had
      nine
      points
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eight
      boards
      in
      the
      final.
     
    

    
     
      "It's
      great.
      I've
      been
      wanting
      this
     
     
      for
      a
      very
      long
      time.
      I
      wanted
      to
      come
      out
     
     
      here
      and
      actually
      win
      a
      championship,"
     
     
      continued
      Maseruka,
      a
      tournament
      All-
     
     
      Star.
     
    

    
     
      Carleton
      will
      have
      a
      tough
      time
     
     
      trying
      to
      repeat
      this
      season's
      success,
      as
     
     
      they
      lose
      three
      fifth-year
      veterans
      next
     
     
      year.
      For
      the
      time
      being,
      the
      Ravens
      are
     
     
      content
      to
      enjoy
      what
      was
      a
      truly
      winning
     
     
      season.
     
    

    
     
      "It's
      the
      greatest
      feeling
      ever,"
     
     
      said
      Carleton
      second-year
      guard
      B.J.
     
     
      Charles.
     
    

    
     
      "No
      one
      in
      the
      world
      deserves
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      more
      than
      we
      do."
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Brad
      gives
      his
      Moment
      of
      Truth
      speech
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Shelley
      lays
      into
      Brad
      just
      before
      her
      victory