HIGH ACHIEVERS WEEKEND WRAP: Carleton women, Ottawa men post Capital Hoops Classic victories

By Martin Cleary

Ontario University Athletics was in full execution and celebration mode as it staged six provincial sports championships.

And athletes from the Carleton University Ravens, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and Ottawa student-athletes attending and representing other OUA schools made the most of the season-ending conference finals.

The Ravens captured their second men’s curling title, individual silver and bronze medals in wrestling, seven medals in the swimming pool and a women’s epee team bronze in fencing.

The Gee-Gees earned a sabre team bronze and coach of the year honours, sixth place in team badminton and sixth- and eighth-place showings in team squash.

Three Ottawa and one Perth swimmers representing four southwestern Ontario universities collected a total of nine medals at the swimming championships, including eight in relay finals.

But before we delve into the details of all their achievements, let’s step back and review the major university basketball doubleheader which captivated the region’s attention on Friday night at The Arena at TD Place – the 18th Capital Hoops Classic.

The game featured not only two of the top-four women’s teams on the national ranking list – Carleton University Ravens at No. 1 and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees at No. 4 – but also two of the top-six men’s squads in the country – Gee-Gees at No. 3 and Carleton at No. 6.

Playing before a crowd of 7,048, the teams with the higher rankings lived up to their rewards and emerged as winners.

Trailing throughout the first three quarters, the undefeated Ravens stepped up with impressive shooting in the fourth quarter to capture the women’s game 58-54. The Ravens remain first in the OUA East Division at 20-0, while the Gee-Gees are second at 17-3.

Carleton jumped into a 10-2 first-quarter lead, but an 11-point third quarter proved its downfall as the Gee-Gees mounted 52 points in the middle two quarters and ran away with a 79-66 victory.

This week’s national rankings show Carleton has maintained the top perch for women, while Ottawa has dropped one place to No. 5. The Gee-Gees, 18-2, climbed one spot to No. 2 in the men’s rankings behind the University of Victoria, 18-0, while the Ravens, 15-5, slipped one position to No. 7.

It was the 13th time Carleton has won the women’s crosstown battle against four wins for the Gee-Gees. On the men’s side, the Gee-Gees picked up their sixth win in the rivalry series, while Carleton has posted 13 triumphs.

“This is a special game, it’s a special moment,” uOttawa captain Dragan Stajic said in a Gee-Gees game report on its website.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t get to experience something like this, so getting to soak in every second of it and coming out with a win against our rivals is a big victory for us. We want to keep building momentum.”

Stajic was one of four key players making significant contributions for the win. He was one of three Gee-Gees scoring 13 points and also added seven rebounds and six assists. Jacques-Melanie Guemeta recorded a game-high 22 points along with three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Justin Ndjock-Tadjore counted 13 points and also registered eight rebounds and three steals, while Khalifa Koulamallah came off the bench for 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. Matthew Smith accounted for seven of Ottawa’s 15 blocked shots, which gives him 42 for the season.

Xavier Spencer led the Ravens with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Nelson Cilien added 14 points and nine rebounds.

The Carleton women’s team trailed after each of the first three quarters – 19-7, 30-19 and 45-39 – but played more like the nation’s No. 1 team in the fourth quarter to eke out its 20 straight regular-season win and remain undefeated.

While the Ravens connected on only four of 12 field-goal attempts in the final quarter, all four were from three-point range. Carleton also hit seven of eight free throws and won the decisive quarter 19-9.

Kyana-Jade Poulin was instrumental in the charge to victory as she hit three consecutive three-point shots, taking the Ravens from a 45-43 deficit to a 52-45 lead, which it never relinquished.

Dorcas Buisa struck for the other three-pointer and made two critical foul shots with four seconds remaining to secure the win.

Poulin finished the game with 18 points and six rebounds, while Jacqueline Urban had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Buisa added eight rebounds and six assists to her six-point effort, and Tatyanna Burke had an impressive stats line of nine points, nine assists, three steals and three assists.

Playing in her final Capital Hoops Classic, Natsuki Szczokin, a fifth-year guard, notched 19 points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists for the Gee-Gees. Ivany Rheault-Langue played 22 minutes coming off the bench for nine points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Carleton and Ottawa men’s and women’s basketball teams are scheduled to finish the OUA regular season Friday and Saturday, playing the Queen’s University Gaels and the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks.

OWEN NICHOLLS GUIDES CARLETON TO OUA CURLING TITLE

A week after winning the Ontario men’s U20 curling championship with his club rink, Owen Nicholls skipped the Carleton University Ravens to their second-ever OUA men’s curling title at the Galt Country Club.

Nicholls and his rink of third Jordan McNamara, second Jack Ragan, lead Jacob Clarke, alternate Spencer Scriver and coach Tom Sinclair went undefeated in four round-robin and three playoff games.

The provincial win also qualifies Carleton for the U Sports national championship Feb. 24-28 in Lethbridge, AB.

The Ravens, which also won the 2019 OUA championship, turned back Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, which were striving for their fifth consecutive provincial title over the last six years (no competition in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Laurier has 13 OUA men’s curling titles in its program.

The Golden Hawks led 5-3 after four ends, but the Nicholls rink took it from there, using the hammer for one in the fifth end and stealing three in the sixth and one in the seventh before shaking hands for an 8-5 win.

Kibo Mulima, who is from Inverary, ON, and is familiar with the Ottawa curling scene, was the Golden Hawks’ skip. Mulima paced Laurier to the OUA and U Sports championships in 2023.

Carleton reached the final by defeating the University of Waterloo Warriors 6-5 with two in the eighth and decisive end of its semifinal and 8-2 over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in a quarterfinal which lasted only six ends.

In its pool, Carleton defeated York University Lions 8-5, Wilfrid Laurier 6-4, Western University Mustangs 9-1 and Waterloo 11-3.

Nicholls, who is from Nobleton, ON, was named the OUA men’s curling MVP, the skip of the first all-star team and Carleton’s athlete of the week. Clarke was named to the second OUA men’s all-star team as the lead.

FINN TUCK SCORES TWO BRONZE MEDALS AT OUA SWIMMING FINALS

Finn Tuck of the Carleton University Ravens was a double bronze medal winner at the OUA swimming championships in Toronto, after placing third in the men’s 100- and 200-metre freestyle races in 49.40 seconds and 1:48.36 respectively.

He also was sixth in the 50-metre freestyle in 22.93 seconds, sixth in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay with Jace Borden, Luc Landry and Nathan Landry in 3:27.58 and seventh in the 400-metre freestyle in 3:59.01.

Isabella Alma posted two women’s para division firsts in the women’s 100-metre freestyle in 1:56.53 and the 100-metre breaststroke in 2:09.26. Nicholas Scott earned three men’s para medals – gold, 100-metre freestyle in 1:07.51; gold, 100-metre butterfly in 1:16.72; and silver, 100-metre backstroke in 1:19.25.

Representing the University of Waterloo Warriors, Allen Zheng of Stittsville compiled four relay medals – silver in the 4×50-metre freestyle and bronze in the 4×50-metre medley, 4×100-metre freestyle and 4×100-metre medley.

University of Guelph’s Elizabeth Greaves of Perth was the bronze medallist in the women’s 200-metre freestyle. In her relay races, she was second in the women’s 4×100-metre medley and third in the 4×200-metre freestyle.

Ottawa’s Jackson Waddell, who attends Western University and races for the Mustangs, contributed to relay medals in the men’s 4×50-metre medley, a silver, and 4×50-metre freestyle, a bronze.

McMaster University Marauders’ Preston McMann of Ottawa was a silver medallist in the 4×100-metre medley relay.

In the team standings, Carleton men were eighth and the Ravens women were 10th.

CARLETON COLLECTS TWO MEDALS AT OUA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Heaven-Lee Emond won three of her four bouts and the silver medal in the women’s 68-kilogram class at the OUA wrestling championships in Sault Ste. Marie.

She reached the final, but lost to Brock University Badgers’ Vanessa Keefe by a fall at 56 seconds. Her effort also earned her athlete of the week honours at Carleton.

“The team was very proud to see her out there representing the Ravens on the big stage,” Carleton coach Chris Schrauwen said in a Ravens press release.

“She continued to show great composure in the right moments and find the right attacks in the right moments to tactically win both of her preliminary marches.”

Jess Hong, a fifth-year Raven, also won three of four matches and finished with the bronze medal in the women’s 50-kilogram division.

The Ravens also had four other top-seven results – Ziad Saif El Nasr, men’s 65 kilograms, fourth; Alecsandra Vlad, men’s 72 kilograms, fifth; Ifeatu Melifonwu, men’s 125 kilograms, fifth; and Titus Diceman, men’s 90 kilograms, seventh.

JAY LOGAN REPEATS AS OUA FENCING COACH OF THE YEAR

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees’ Noura Camara, Khloe Lessard-Kulchyski and Maryam Moussa combined to defeat Western University Mustangs 43-35 and win the women’s sabre team bronze medal at the OUA fencing championships in Kingston.

For the second consecutive year, Gee-Gees’ Jay Logan was named the OUA fencing coach of the year.

Carleton University Ravens outscored Trent University Excalibur 45-29 to capture the women’s epee team bronze medal. The Ravens fencers were Mayeen Ayoub, Hope Johnson and Ava Zheng, who lost the individual epee bronze medal match 15-14 to Stephanie Shen of Western and placed fourth.

In the women’s team standings, Ottawa was fifth and Carleton took sixth.

GEE-GEES FINISH SIXTH AT OUA BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees lost 6-4 to McMaster University Marauders to finish sixth overall at the OUA badminton championships.

In preliminary play, the Gee-Gees defeated the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold 10-0 and the University of Guelph Gryphons 10-0 before losing to the York University Lions 7-3 and the University of Waterloo Warriors 9-1.

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA PLACES SIXTH AT OUA SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS

After winning only one of five men’s preliminary pool matches, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees fell 4-3 to the University of Guelph Gryphons and placed sixth at the OUA squash championships in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Gee-Gees women’s team finished eighth, losing all five matches.

GEE-GEES MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM RECORDS WIN, LOSS

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees split a pair of OUA men’s hockey games, losing 3-2 in overtime to the Western University Mustangs before defeating York University Lions 3-1.

Mathieu Desgagnes scored one goal in each game as the Gee-Gees remained in third place in the East Division at 17-6-3.

Mitch Martin and Marc-Antoine Seguin also scored against the Lions. Anthony Poulin scored the other Ottawa game in the Western game.

Carleton University Ravens, 12-14-2, allowed five goals in each of its two losses, falling 5-2 to York and 5-3 to Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks.

Felix Bedard and Nick McCarry scored for the Ravens against York, and the Ravens’ goals in the Ontario Tech game came from Alex Johnston, Braeden Virtue and Reese Belton.

ALGONQUIN UNDEFEATED FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REGULAR SEASON

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association basketball playoff season has arrived for the Algonquin College and College La Cité teams.

The Algonquin Wolves completed their third straight undefeated regular season (42 wins in a row) by defeating Loyalist College Lancers 72-49 and St. Lawrence College Surge 84-47.

The first-place Wolves will face Sheridan College Bruins at home on Saturday in a round-of-16 OCAA playoff game.

The Algonquin men’s basketball team secured fourth place in the East Division by holding off Loyalist 74-72 and St. Lawrence 96-82. The Wolves will meet Niagara, 10-8 in the West, in their playoff qualifier on Saturday at home.

La Cité Coyotes, 5-13, secured the final East playoff spot by defeating St. Lawrence 85-79 and Loyalist 75-73. Les Coyotes will play West Division champion Humber College Hawks, 18-0.

TWO WORLD PARA ALPINE SILVERS FOR KALLE ERICSSON, SIERRA SMITH

Kalle Ericsson of Kimberley, B.C., and guide Sierra Smith of Ottawa won a pair of silver medals at the para alpine world skiing championships in Maribor, Slovenia.

Ericsson and Smith combined to place second in the giant slalom and slalom. The Italian team of Giacomo Bertagnolli and Andrea Ravelli won both races, but only by 0.32 seconds and 0.25 seconds respectively.

Alexis Guimond of Gatineau was second in each of the two men’s standing giant slalom runs and finished with the silver medal.

The downhill and super-G races were cancelled because of poor snow conditions.

JENNIFER JONES JOINS TEAM HOMAN AS SCOTTIES COACH

Retired curling great Jennifer Jones will serve as the coach for Rachel Homan’s Ottawa Curling Club team at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which starts Friday in Thunder Bay.

But she’ll miss some of the early matches because of a prior commitment. Rachelle Brown will watch from the bench until Jones can take on her coaching duties for the defending champion.

“Jen’s leadership and experience are invaluable,” Team Homan posted on social media. “We’ve lucky to have her on the bench with us.”

Jones, who briefly coached Team Homan earlier this season, was preceded by Brendan Bottcher, who later joined the Brad Gushue rink, Paul Webster and Matt Hamilton.

She is a two-time world champion, a six-time Scotties national champion and the 2014 Olympic gold medallist.

LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

· Kanata’s Jamie Lee Rattray assisted on the game-winning goal as Canada won the deciding game of the women’s hockey Rivalry Series 3-1 over USA. Danielle Serdachny of the Ottawa Charge had a pair of assists in the contest and Charge captain Brianne Jenner scored Canada’s first goal.

· Ottawa TFC Soccer Club product Elijah Roche and the Canadian under-17 men’s soccer team dominated Turks and Caicos 6-0 in the opening match of their CONCACAF U-17 qualifiers in Bermuda. Roche is now based in Toronto with TFC Academy.

· Dominique Vivier of the Navan Curling Club and Nick Codner of Newfoundland have advanced to the Canadian U21 world mixed doubles curling qualifying competition March 16-23 in Summerside, P.E.I. The qualifier is one week before Vivier represents Ontario at the Canadian women’s U20 championship.

· The Charlene Sobering rink from the Huntley Curling Club won six straight matches over four days to capture the open division first event at the 25th Crystal Heart Curling Classic, which is an annual fund raiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

· Jared Schmidt of Dunrobin, ON, finished 15th in the second of two World Cup ski cross races at Val Di Fasso, Italy. He sits 14th overall in the World Cup men’s points ranking.

· With a push from fellow Ottawa bobsledders Mike Evelyn O’Higgins and Keaton Bruggeling, pilot Pat Norton was 14th in a four-man World Cup race in Lillehammer, Norway. Norton and Evelyn O’Higgins were also 17th in the two-man race, while past brakeman-turned-pilot Jay Dearborn was 24th.

· Clara Hegan of Nakkertok Nordic skied the second leg and helped Canada to a ninth-place showing in the mixed 4×5-kilometre classic/free relay at the world junior cross-country ski championships in Schilpario, Italy. She also was 17th in the 20-kilometre classic mass start, 29th in the 10-kilometre interval start free and 35th in the sprint. Nakkertok’s Katya Semeniuk was 44th in the women’s U23 20-kilometre classic mass start and Ry Prior of Chelsea Nordiq placed 45th in the U23 men’s sprint.

· Carleton University nordic skiers Maya Abraham and Isabella Pighin have been named to the British Columbia team for the National Cup ski competition March 25 to April 6 in Kiruna, Sweden.