By Matt Gergyek
Photos by Marc Lafleur
The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team is taking on teams from south of the border in a series of exhibition games as part of the annual Carleton-hosted Can-Am Shootout.
Can-Am Shootout:
U Sports meets NCAA
The team is facing off against four National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) teams, including the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Ole Miss Rebels, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Maryland Easter Shore Hawks, in a series of five games running from Aug. 6 to Aug. 14.
The competition is tough — the Bearcats won 31 of their 36 regular season games last year and the Rebels have made five March Madness appearances since 2012.
The Ravens men’s team will play three more exhibition games in October, pitted against the University of Guelph Gryphons, the University of Victoria Vikes and the Concordia Stingers.
The Ravens women’s team will begin their year with a series of exhibition games against Canadian teams come early October. Both the men’s and women’s regular seasons will launch at the end of October and continue into February, with playoffs taking place in March.
Looking ahead
Last year, both the women’s and men’s basketball teams had unforgettable seasons.
The women’s team played a monumental undefeated regular season (that’s 23 straight games, ranking them number one in the country) and pushed their winning streak into the playoffs, beating the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the finals to win their first-ever national title. Taffe Charles, head coach of the women’s team, was awarded U SPORTS and Ontario University Athletics women’s basketball Coach of the Year. Elizabeth Leblanc was named the championship tournament MVP and national defensive player of the year.
The men’s team also went undefeated in the regular season and took home bronze medals in the playoffs after beating out the McGill Redmen. In the last 16 years, the men’s team has won a staggering 13 national titles.
To see the full schedule for the men’s team for the 2018-2019 season and for tickets, click here.
To see the full schedule for the women’s team for the 2018-2019 season and for tickets, click here.
