RECAP: Big fourth quarter not enough for #3 men’s basketball in Capital Hoops Classic

A furious fourth quarter made things interesting, but the Carleton Ravens ultimately prevailed by a 67-61 score in the 16^th Capital Hoops Classic.

A big third quarter powered the country's second-ranked team to victory, as the Ravens outscored Ottawa 19-10 in the third frame. Their win improves their record to 13-3 in the annual matchup, which was contested before 7,029 fans at The Arena at TD Place.

"These are two good teams, their biggest lead was 12 and then we bounced back," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "Our defence was outstanding. I think at one point, even to end the third, we had eight straight stops,  but we couldn't turn those stops into buckets at the other end."

There was nothing to separate the two combatants in the opening half. The teams traded leads throughout the first 20 minutes, and Ottawa held a 32-31 advantage at the break.

That's when Carleton took over the matchup. Coming off a U SPORTS Men's Basketball Player of the Week performance, Aiden Warnholtz carried the Ravens offensive. The fourth-year guard recorded 25 points, knocking down two of his five treys in the third stanza. 

The Gee-Gees came out firing in the fourth, erasing an eight-point advantage the Ravens carried into the final frame. A Josh Inkumsah fast break tied the game at 59 with just under four minutes to play, but the Ravens then scored six unanswered to put the game to bed.

Kevin Otoo was Ottawa's top scorer, knocking down 22 points, including four three-balls. Cole Newton and Guillaume Pépin were also in double figures for Ottawa, which falls to 14-4 on the season.

"I've never played in front of people like that," said Otoo, who appeared in his first Capital Hoops Classic. "I've probably played in front of 3,000 or 4,000 people at most. For me, I can keep composed and block everyone out. That's why I was able to have the performance I had today – making sure I'm focused on my teammates and the game."

After Warnholtz, Carleton's Connor Vreeken had 16 points, while Grant Sheppard was one point shy of a double-double. 

The Gee-Gees hit the road for another crucial game against the country's fourth-ranked team, the Queen's Gaels, on Sunday, Feb. 5. They'll return to Montpetit Hall for back-to-back home games against the Nipissing Lakers (Friday, Feb. 10) and the Laurentian Voyageurs (Saturday, Feb. 11). 

Tickets for all Gee-Gees home games are on sale at tickets.geegees.ca.