TORONTO – The Ryerson Rams hosted the No. 5 Carleton Ravens Saturday night for the first time this season. This game went down to the wire as the Rams came back from a deficit to win 51-49 and avenge their 2019 OUA quarter-final loss. 

"I've never beat Carleton in my time here," says guard Marin Scotten (Ottawa, Ont.). "Especially after losing last night by two, it was a big goal to beat them [Ravens] and it feels really good."

The Rams were coming off a tough 74-72 loss to the No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night, and hoping this match up would turn out in their favour. The Rams started the first quarter much the same way, going for seven unanswered points. The Rams would open the scoring with two back-to-back threes by Rachel Farwell (Rothesay, N.B.) and Scotten, very reminiscent of their previous game. A little over two minutes into the game, the Ravens would get a bucket to fall, as Madison Reid dropped a three. She would get another to fall on the next play and Dorcas Buisa would get her own to fall and tie the game. A good defensive press by the Ravens would give them a four-point lead heading into the second quarter.

The Rams would not start the second quarter on a good note, committing back-to-back turnovers, the first on a loose ball and the second on a back-court violation. The Ravens would capitalize, scoring first as the OUA's points per game leader, Alyssa Cerino, made a layup. After two Hayley Robertson (Toronto) threes and a Stefanija Mrvaljevic (Mississauga, Ont.) layup the Rams would reclaim the lead for a short period of time. A strong defensive effort by the Rams would keep the Ravens' lead down to one. The Rams had 28 rebounds and caused six turnovers in the first half, keeping the Ravens to just eight points in the second quarter. 

"We're down a few bodies from our normal rotation," said head coach Carly Clarke. "But we're just unfazed, we keep pushing, we keep playing as hard as we can." 

Both teams would trade the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Rams would take a six-point lead at the five-minute mark as Scotten drained a three and got a steal and layup on the next play. The Rams would show a more consistent offence in the third but would fail to make some key stops and the Ravens held a three-point lead going into the final quarter. 

The Ravens would start the quarter with an out-of-bounds turnover but would eventually shoot first and convert on a three-point play. They would hold a six-point lead with five minutes left in the game.

The Rams continued to battle and make big plays which paid off in the end. Three back-to-back threes by Robertson and Scotten would give the Rams the lead in the final minutes of the quarter. 

"We knew it would be a physical battle," said Clarke. "We tried to get the ball in the right people's hands, and we did that, and they made some plays for us."

The Rams would eventually hold on to that lead and take this win away from the No. 5 Ravens.

"We fought back hard," said Scotten. "That's great to see."

The Rams are back in action on Wednesday, January 29 at home against the McMaster Marauders. Tip off is at 6:00 p.m. ET and the game can be watched live on OUA.tv.