The Carleton University Ravens and two-time CIS player of the year Osvaldo Jeanty have won five straight W.P. McGee Trophies. In the lowest-scoring CIS final ever, third-seeded Carleton defeated
the No. 4 Brandon Bobcats 52-49 Sunday afternoon at the Halifax Metro
Centre to move to within two of the all-time record of seven straight
McGee Trophies set by the Victoria Vikes from 1980-86.
Carleton’s five national titles are also second on the all-time list behind Victoria, which has eight. The Ravens have now won 17 straight games at the Nationals, one short of the Vikes’ mark.
The previous lowest-scoring Gold-medal match was a 55-50 Assumption win over Acadia in the original national tournament in 1963.
Jeanty, a fifth-year guard from Gloucester, Ont. who had been named championship final MVP following each of the Ravens first four triumphs and tournament MVP on two occasions (2006, 2003), becomes the fourth player in history to graduate with five CIS rings, following Eli Pasquale, David Sheehan and Ryan Burles, all of Victoria.
“Words can’t describe the way I’m feeling right now. I’m so happy, I’m just so happy,” said Jeanty, selected on the tournament all-star team for a fifth straight year. “My drive for five might be over but for a lot of the guys, it’s still very much alive.”
Teammates Ryan Bell (Orleans, Ont.), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (Ottawa) and Shawn McLeery (Nepean, Ont.) have been on the last four championship squad. Bell and Jean-Marie will be back for a fifth season in 2007-08, while McLeery graduates this spring.
“I couldn’t make a shot to save my life today,” continued Jeanty, who finished with 15 points on an uncharacteristic mediocre 5-of-19 shooting, including 3-of-13. “I had to keep trying, but at the same time I thought I’d keep feeding Aaron (Doornekamp), he was on fire.”
Doornekamp, a third-year forward from Odessa, Ont., who missed last year’s championship with a broken ankle, was named gold-medal final and tournament MVP after tallying a game-high 20 points, including a dozen on three-pointers, along with four rebounds and three assists.
“I think anyone could play my position. Osvaldo, the rest of the guys, they make it so easy for me, give me so many open looks,” humbly said Doornekamp.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to take this to Ottawa next year,” added the six-foot-seven junior, referring to the CIS tourney moving to Scotiabank Place after 24 straight years in Halifax.
Joining Jeanty on the championship all-star team were David Yul Michel (Montreal) and Dany Charlery (Montreal) of Brandon, Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa) of Ottawa and Mark McLaughlin (Dartmouth, N.S.) of Saint Mary’s.
“Seven is not even on the radar screen,” said Carleton head coach Dave Smart, when asked about Victoria’s record for consecutive titles. “It’s hard to say if this one feels better than the previous ones. Every year is a new team, new challenges. They’re all different.”
“A lot of credit should go to the Bobcats. They played and unbelievable game defensively,” added Smart.
While the Ravens were up to their usual defensive standards, holding Brandon to 23 less points than their previous season low, the Bobcats gave the champs a taste of their own medicine in the second half limiting them to 20 points, including 10 in first 16:58 of the stanza.
“It’s a heart-breaking loss for sure, any time a game of this magnitude gets down to the last possession,” said CIS coach of the year Barnaby Craddock of Brandon, whose team was also looking for a fifth McGee Trophy and a first since 1996. “We needed just a little more composure at the end. Maybe it comes with getting to the big game a few times.”
After scoring the first two points of the game, the Bobcats didn’t lead again before 3:19 left in the contest.
Trailing 32-26 at the break, Brandon remained within striking distance and tied it at 39 all with 9:15 remaining on a bucket and a free throw by six-foot-seven forward Stevens Marcelin (Montreal).
The Canada West finalists finally went ahead with 3:19 on the clock when fourth-year forward Adam Hartman (Virden, Man.) hit a pair of free throws to make it 43-42 Bobcats.
A wild 69-second sequence followed, with Doornekamp hitting a three-point shot to regain the lead for Carleton, fifth-year guard Chad Jacobson (Brandon, Man.) answering with a three-pointer of his own to put Brandon back on top 46-45, and Doornekamp hitting again from long distance, this time from at least five feet beyond the arc.
In a fitting finish to an exceptional career, Jeanty scored what would prove the championship-winning points draining an acrobatic basket as he was falling down to make it 50-46 Ravens with 1:16 on the clock.
After Doornekamp hit one of two free throws with 26 seconds left, Jacobson pulled the Bobcats to within two at 51-49 with another trey.
Third-year Carleton guard Stuart Turnbull (Kingston, Ont.) was fouled, missed his first attempt from the line, then made the second one.
Getting the ball back with 9.3 ticks remaining, Hartman took on last shot from far out at the buzzer, but the ball hit the rim and refused to go in.
Marcelin and Charlery paced the Bobcats with 13 points apiece.
The defensive battle saw Carleton shoot only 26.9 percent (18-of-67), including 29.0 from beyond the arc (9-of-31), compared to 36.4 (16-of-44) and 36.4 (4-of-11) for Brandon. The Ravens shot 24.1 percent in the second half (7-of-29).
One of the differences in the duel was Carleton’s domination on the offensive board, the Ravens grabbing 20 offensive rebounds to eight for Brandon.
STAT LEADERS
Carleton
Points: Aaron Doornekamp (20), Osvaldo Jeanty (15)
Rebounds: Ryan Bell (9), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (6)
Assists: Aaron Doornekamp (3), Osvaldo Jeanty (3)
Player of the game: Aaron Doornekamp
Brandon
Points: Stevens Marcelin (13), Dany Charlery (13)
Rebounds: Stevens Marcelin (9), Dany Charlery (8)
Assists: Dany Charlery (4)
the No. 4 Brandon Bobcats 52-49 Sunday afternoon at the Halifax Metro
Centre to move to within two of the all-time record of seven straight
McGee Trophies set by the Victoria Vikes from 1980-86.
Carleton’s five national titles are also second on the all-time list behind Victoria, which has eight. The Ravens have now won 17 straight games at the Nationals, one short of the Vikes’ mark.
The previous lowest-scoring Gold-medal match was a 55-50 Assumption win over Acadia in the original national tournament in 1963.
Jeanty, a fifth-year guard from Gloucester, Ont. who had been named championship final MVP following each of the Ravens first four triumphs and tournament MVP on two occasions (2006, 2003), becomes the fourth player in history to graduate with five CIS rings, following Eli Pasquale, David Sheehan and Ryan Burles, all of Victoria.
“Words can’t describe the way I’m feeling right now. I’m so happy, I’m just so happy,” said Jeanty, selected on the tournament all-star team for a fifth straight year. “My drive for five might be over but for a lot of the guys, it’s still very much alive.”
Teammates Ryan Bell (Orleans, Ont.), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (Ottawa) and Shawn McLeery (Nepean, Ont.) have been on the last four championship squad. Bell and Jean-Marie will be back for a fifth season in 2007-08, while McLeery graduates this spring.
“I couldn’t make a shot to save my life today,” continued Jeanty, who finished with 15 points on an uncharacteristic mediocre 5-of-19 shooting, including 3-of-13. “I had to keep trying, but at the same time I thought I’d keep feeding Aaron (Doornekamp), he was on fire.”
Doornekamp, a third-year forward from Odessa, Ont., who missed last year’s championship with a broken ankle, was named gold-medal final and tournament MVP after tallying a game-high 20 points, including a dozen on three-pointers, along with four rebounds and three assists.
“I think anyone could play my position. Osvaldo, the rest of the guys, they make it so easy for me, give me so many open looks,” humbly said Doornekamp.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to take this to Ottawa next year,” added the six-foot-seven junior, referring to the CIS tourney moving to Scotiabank Place after 24 straight years in Halifax.
Joining Jeanty on the championship all-star team were David Yul Michel (Montreal) and Dany Charlery (Montreal) of Brandon, Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa) of Ottawa and Mark McLaughlin (Dartmouth, N.S.) of Saint Mary’s.
“Seven is not even on the radar screen,” said Carleton head coach Dave Smart, when asked about Victoria’s record for consecutive titles. “It’s hard to say if this one feels better than the previous ones. Every year is a new team, new challenges. They’re all different.”
“A lot of credit should go to the Bobcats. They played and unbelievable game defensively,” added Smart.
While the Ravens were up to their usual defensive standards, holding Brandon to 23 less points than their previous season low, the Bobcats gave the champs a taste of their own medicine in the second half limiting them to 20 points, including 10 in first 16:58 of the stanza.
“It’s a heart-breaking loss for sure, any time a game of this magnitude gets down to the last possession,” said CIS coach of the year Barnaby Craddock of Brandon, whose team was also looking for a fifth McGee Trophy and a first since 1996. “We needed just a little more composure at the end. Maybe it comes with getting to the big game a few times.”
After scoring the first two points of the game, the Bobcats didn’t lead again before 3:19 left in the contest.
Trailing 32-26 at the break, Brandon remained within striking distance and tied it at 39 all with 9:15 remaining on a bucket and a free throw by six-foot-seven forward Stevens Marcelin (Montreal).
The Canada West finalists finally went ahead with 3:19 on the clock when fourth-year forward Adam Hartman (Virden, Man.) hit a pair of free throws to make it 43-42 Bobcats.
A wild 69-second sequence followed, with Doornekamp hitting a three-point shot to regain the lead for Carleton, fifth-year guard Chad Jacobson (Brandon, Man.) answering with a three-pointer of his own to put Brandon back on top 46-45, and Doornekamp hitting again from long distance, this time from at least five feet beyond the arc.
In a fitting finish to an exceptional career, Jeanty scored what would prove the championship-winning points draining an acrobatic basket as he was falling down to make it 50-46 Ravens with 1:16 on the clock.
After Doornekamp hit one of two free throws with 26 seconds left, Jacobson pulled the Bobcats to within two at 51-49 with another trey.
Third-year Carleton guard Stuart Turnbull (Kingston, Ont.) was fouled, missed his first attempt from the line, then made the second one.
Getting the ball back with 9.3 ticks remaining, Hartman took on last shot from far out at the buzzer, but the ball hit the rim and refused to go in.
Marcelin and Charlery paced the Bobcats with 13 points apiece.
The defensive battle saw Carleton shoot only 26.9 percent (18-of-67), including 29.0 from beyond the arc (9-of-31), compared to 36.4 (16-of-44) and 36.4 (4-of-11) for Brandon. The Ravens shot 24.1 percent in the second half (7-of-29).
One of the differences in the duel was Carleton’s domination on the offensive board, the Ravens grabbing 20 offensive rebounds to eight for Brandon.
STAT LEADERS
Carleton
Points: Aaron Doornekamp (20), Osvaldo Jeanty (15)
Rebounds: Ryan Bell (9), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (6)
Assists: Aaron Doornekamp (3), Osvaldo Jeanty (3)
Player of the game: Aaron Doornekamp
Brandon
Points: Stevens Marcelin (13), Dany Charlery (13)
Rebounds: Stevens Marcelin (9), Dany Charlery (8)
Assists: Dany Charlery (4)