OUA Playoff Preview: Remaining four teams set to do battle for a berth in the Critelli Cup finale
BURLINGTON, Ont. – Just like that, the season is down to just four teams, with two high-profile semifinals set for Wednesday night. All four combatants are coming off of impressive postseason victories and will be looking to carry that momentum into a Critelli Cup appearance, but which squads will survive the semis when the final buzzer sounds?
West No. 2 Windsor Lancers (20-4) vs. East No. 1 Carleton Ravens (23-0)
After racking up an undefeated regular season, the Carleton Ravens have continued their dominance into the postseason, with their latest triumph coming in the former a 16-point victory over the Ryerson Rams. Despite a closely-contest first three quarters, the nation’s No.1 seed was able to pull away in the final frame to seal the quarterfinal win.
The Ravens saw a well-rounded performance on offense – getting double-digit contributions from four players – and were led by the 19 points of Catherine Traer. Heather Lindsay fell one rebound shy of the double-double (12 PTS, 9 REB), while Cynthia Dupont chipped in with 17 points off the bench. It is balanced efforts like this that has propelled the Ravens to their No. 1 offense (72.4 PPG), as several players have the ability to influence the game. And when it comes to their semifinal foes – the conference’s second best defense – this offensive attack will be a key to continue their quest for their second straight Critelli Cup.
On defense, meanwhile, they will once again be put to the test against another top-five unit in the OUA. The Lancers average a stout 69.5 points per game, and like the Ravens, are able to receive contributions from several players. Leading the way for Windsor, however, is the standout play of Emily Prevost, who has been a double-double machine for the Lancers all season (14.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG).
Helping Prevost to carry the load against their quarterfinal combatant Lakehead Thunderwolves, meanwhile, was the 17 points of Olivia Osamusali, as well as Kaylee Anadnostopoulos’ seven rebounds, and if the Lancers want to slay the undefeated giant in front of them, they’ll need similar contributions from their talented roster. As a unit, they’ll also need to maintain their key successes from the regular season, including those on the glass – wherein they out-rebounded clubs by a margin of 13 per contest – and from beyond the arc – wherein the Lancers led the OUA by notching a 33.3 3PT%.
Carleton was able to minimize and manage these elements in their first and only meeting of the season – a 70-46 victory by the Ravens – as they held the Lancers to just 20.0% shooting from deep and kept leading-scorer Prevost off the scoreboard – but with another three months of play under their belts since then, both teams will be very different come Wednesday in their battle to see who moves on to the Critelli Cup finale.
East No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-8) vs. West No. 1 McMaster Marauders (20-4)
The Gee-Gees are galloping their way toward an impressive Critelli Cup run. Their latest stop was an 11-point victory over the reigning runners up, Queen’s Gaels, and they can once again thank their aggressive defensive style for giving them the edge.
Ottawa has been one of the most impressive teams on defense all year – playing their way to a third-ranked 56.8 points per game allowed – which will continue to be a key in their playoff push. One of the leaders on that end of the floor has been Angela Ribarich (1.3 BPG), who showed off her rim protecting abilities once again in the quarterfinals. Ribarich swatted away a game-high eight shots on the night, while also recording 19 points for the Gee-Gees. Also chipping in on the offensive side was first year Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, as the team’s leading scorer this season added 18 points in the win.
For continued success, especially against a tough opponent like McMaster, the Gee-Gees will need to see continued two-way efforts from their squad, which also includes standouts like Brooklynn McAlear-Fanus and Amelie Hachey’s influence on both ends of the floor. But standing in their way are the aforementioned Marauders, who also know a little something about playing a complete game.
The Hamilton squad ranked in the top five in both offense and defense in the OUA this season, a trend that the nation’s No. 4 squad continued into their quarterfinal match with the Mustangs. In defeating Western, the Marauders flexed their muscle to not only light up the purple ponies from beyond the arc – shooting 40% from deep – but also limit their opponents’ shooting proficiency to the tune of a 13.6 3PT% performance. These feats are no surprise for the Marauders, as they both shoot and defend the long ball well, among other things, ranking third in the OUA in both categories.
Leading the maroon and white in their latest game was Linnaea Harper, who checked in with 18 points for Mac, and along with the likes of top-ten scorer Hilary Hanaka, and first year Sarah Gates, will keep the Gee-Gees defense on their toes all game long. The Ottawa squad did get the better of these dynamic scorers in the teams’ only meeting this season (48-45 Ottawa win), but with another half season under their belts, both teams have taken significant strides and should provide a whole new level of competition come Wednesday.
Both semifinal clashes can be seen live on OUA.tv on Wednesday, February 28, starting at 6:00pm, with the winners advancing to Saturday’s Critelli Cup final.
