TORONTO - The Ryerson Rams men's basketball team came up short in a tight battle against the nation's top-ranked Carleton Ravens on Saturday night.

The Ravens took the match 88-82 to advance their record to 17-0 as the Rams' six-game winning streak was snapped and the team falls to a 10-6 record. 

It was a packed house on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, with a playoff atmosphere looming in the building. The game started off with an abundance of intensity, and both teams playing very quickly. Ravens guard Yasiin Joseph opened up the scoring for his team with three quick three-pointers and finished the quarter with 12 points. The Rams were able to contain the Ravens' efficient shooting, only trailing 19-16 after the first quarter.

It was more of the same in the second quarter, as Joseph made all six of his three-point attempts, and the Ravens collectively shot 10 for 13 from beyond the arc. "He's one of the best guards in the country, and we knew that but we fell asleep and he got enough daylight to make us pay," said Rams head coach Borko Popic when talking about Joseph. 

The Rams did well to weather the storm, however, taking many trips to the free throw line and making the Ravens pay for it shooting 12-12 from there. The first half finished 46-43 for the Ravens. 

The Ravens are known for their third-quarter dominance, and tonight was no exception, outscoring the Rams 21-14 in the third, to take a 67-57 lead going into the fourth. Rams leading scorer Tevaun Kokko (Markham, Ont.), who finished with 29 points against the Ravens, had some thoughts on the third quarter saying, "Carleton's known for their big third-quarter runs, that's something they came out with and they executed well." 

The fourth was a roller-coaster of emotions for both teams and the crowd, as three-pointers started falling from both ends. The Rams began to rally back, as Jayden Frederick (Scarborough, Ont.) scored two quick buckets to keep the Rams close at 75-68 and forced the Ravens to take a time-out. 

The Rams managed to make it a four-point game with a few minutes left, but Joseph continued to answer with a dagger three to give him 34 points on the night. Ryerson would not go away it seemed, as Kokko drained two free throws and a huge three to make it 84-82 for the Ravens with less than a minute of play. In the end, however, the Ravens saw the game out and clinched their 17th straight victory this season. 

Carleton was a pure two-headed monster with Joseph and Lloyd Pandi combining for 58 points and no other Raven getting in double figures. As for the Rams, Kokko finished with 29, Tanor Ngom (Dakar, Senegal) with 23 and Frederick with 12 points. 

The Rams will quickly look to forget about this match as they take on the No.10 McMaster Marauders in the OUA's Marquee Matchup this Wednesday and have six games remaining in the regular season.