Rams rely on inside game to claim the inaugural Critelli Cup

OTTAWA, Ont. - The Ryerson Rams claimed the program's first OUA women's basketball championship with an emotional 66-60 win over the host Ottawa Gee-Gees. Rams 6-foot-4 centre Sofia Paska was featured heavily in the offence putting up 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to complete the double-double earning her the Porter Player of the Game honours. Mariah Nunes and Silvana Jez added 17 points apiece to the cause. 

"We knew we had an advantage inside today," said an elated Rams head coach Carly Clarke. "We were emphasizing rebounding, we knew it would be a physical battle. Our rebounding especially in the second half was tremendous. We got our hands on the basketball in key moments. That's what held on to the game for us.

"I'm so incredibly proud of these girls and the work they put in. They've truly earned it," added Clarke. "I've been working at it for four years with this program but there's so many other people that deserve credit for helping putting it together. From our administration, the university support, they've made it a place that wants to win and be successful in all areas. I'm just privileged to be a part of it."

From the Gee-Gees perspective, they found energy from the home crowd early but just couldn't get consistent stops on defence.

"We really struggled to guard their posts cause we didn't have any," said Gee-Gees coach Andy Sparks. "With our injuries we really couldn't contest with their posts one-on-one so it was a double down match up for us. We had to come off the perimeter a little to defend the post and Jez hit a couple threes which hurt us. We should have come off the ball screen a little more, we were having success with that."

The Rams seemed to relish the hostile atmosphere. But it was the Gee-Gees holding a slim lead throughout the first quarter until Ryerson jumped in front by one at the end of the quarter. The Rams quickly made that a seven point margin early in the second but a couple stops and timely shots prevented Ryerson from taking over the game.

Using the clear size advantage, the Rams headed to the locker room with a six-point, 35 - 29 advantage with already 24 points in the paint. The Gee-Gees were able to contain both OUA player of the year Keneca Pingue-Giles and the previous night's player of the game, Silvana Jez, to eight total points in the first half.

Pingue-Giles of the Rams had to sit down midway through the third quarter with four fouls. The Gee-Gees were able to take advantage and brought the game even in her absence. But that was short lived as the Rams used a 7-0 run to restore the lead. That was a 51-45 lead they'd carry to the final frame. 

Jez broke out in the second half when she found herself open more often with the Gee-Gees concentrating on defence inside.

Early in the fourth, with the Rams looking to finally get some separation, it was Krista Van Slingerland who stepped up and nailed back-to-back threes to keep it close.

The last three minutes were frantic with the Rams up by five. Six straight possessions went by with no shot falling. It wasn't until Pingue-Giles drove the lane with 1:09 to go and layed it in to put the Rams up seven that the final nail was effectively struck. 

The Gee-Gees pulled within five but couldn't get much to fall in the last two minutes. 

"It feels absolutely amazing," said Paska. "We knew that their big was out so that was the main reason we worked it inside. My post and even our guards, no one could really guard us inside. They (uOttawa) did a great job double teaming me but my shots were falling today. We had all the right pieces this year to win the banner."

"It's about time, it's a little bare on the walls of the Mattamy Centre and I hear we've got a second (OUA banner) to hang next to it," said coach Clarke. "So that's pretty exciting. We spend a lot of time with our men's team and we get along well, our coaches are friends so it's so exciting to share this both on the same night with them." 

By making the Critelli Cup Final, both teams earned an automatic berth in next weekend's CIS championship on the campus of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.