“What Saumure did today was all with her heart”
Three playoff games in seven days, including a trip to Waterloo. A date with the 21-1, nationally first-ranked Carleton Ravens at the always-thunderous Raven’s Nest. Sometimes, the odds are just too difficult to overcome.
The Gees took an early lead in Feb. 28’s OUA semi-final matchup against Carleton, in part thanks to an early corner three from fourth-year guard Ariane Saumure. But the Ravens, led by three-time OUA First Team All-Star Kali Pocrnic, had evened the score at 13 by the end of the first quarter.
With just over six minutes to play in the second frame, Pocrnic squared up from deep three-point range and drained a three, one of three makes from beyond the arc on the night for the fourth-year point guard. The bucket propelled the Ravens into the lead, a lead which they would build upon as the game continued, and ultimately would close out at 75-51.
Late in the second quarter, fellow First-Team All-Star and fourth-year Gee-Gee Natsuki Szczokin would find first-year Gee Allie McCarthy open from three below the right break, and following a Carleton timeout, would call her own number and hit from the right corner. Those would be the only points on the night for the Gee’s star, however.
Going into the half, the Gees were faced with a manageable 10-point deficit, but switching ends would do the visiting team no favours in the hostile environment. The Ravens, led by 2023 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year Jacqueline Urban, would go on an 8-0 run to begin the second half.
Urban would finish with a game-high 24 points and 17 rebounds on 12-of-18 shooting from the floor. The second-year touched on what went right in the second half postgame. “I think staying composed is really important,” said the Ancaster native.
“I think for me, after seeing the first one fall I get confidence. But really, my teammates set me up really well. I don’t think I [received] one bad pass. I think that’s really helpful, when you get a good pass it’s [almost] like a good shot automatically.”
With just over two to play in the penultimate frame, Saumure would drain another three, one of her game-high four triples on the night. Following that, fifth-year Gee Alana Renon would bank in a three from the right break.
But the large deficit Urban and the Ravens created was too much to overcome, despite Saumure’s intense hustle and active hands. The Ravens would cruise into the final quarter with a 24-point lead.
A Saumure step-through bucket from the top of the key, a layup from forward Emily Payne, and finally a steal from Saumure which created an open three for herself at the top of the arc would bring the Gees closer, but at this point, the result was all but finalized.
Saumure would finish with a team high 22 points on nine-of-20 shooting from the field, while adding two steals and countless more tipped balls. The Sudbury native was also named to the OUA Third Team All-Stars prior to the game.
The Western transfer talked postgame about the team’s season. “Obviously we didn’t get the outcome we wanted,” Saumure said. “Perhaps it just wasn’t in our cards this year to go all the way, but nonetheless our team had an incredible year this year. It’s not easy building a team with eight new players, but somehow we managed to do so really well.”
Saumure continued to talk about what her final game meant to her. “During that game, all I could think about was how it could be my last OUA game ever, and I didn’t want to go down without a fight. I wanted to play with pride and wanted to leave my heart and my all on that floor. For me, that meant playing the hardest defence I could, fighting for 50/50 balls and trying to find the back of the net. At the end of the day, your effort is the only thing you can control.”
Pocrnic would leave the game after falling awkwardly while going up for a layup and leave the game, but Ravens head coach Dani Sinclair assured Ravens fans after the game that the superstar would be ready to go for the OUA finals on Saturday. “She’s good,” said Sinclair. “She’ll be good. There’s no way [Pocrnic’s] not playing that game.”
Sinclair, who led the Ravens to a 21-1 record during the regular season was named the OUA Coach of the Year prior to the game. She also spoke about what the honour meant to her. “I think it is a reflection of the team.
And I don’t say that as just a cliché thing, when you have players like [Pocrnic] and Dorcas Buisa as your leaders, and then young players like Kyana-Jade Poulin, [Urban], and Teresa Donato just taking it upon themselves to get better everyday.
As I say all the time, I was lucky enough to take over a program that was well-established by Taffe Charles. I’ve just been able to sneak in there and continue on with what the culture was before I arrived. Now being here four years, myself, Michelle Abella, Dean [Petridis], and Mackenzie [Ash-Smith] — we’ve been able as a group to put our own twist on it.”
Sinclair even went so far as to call out praise for Saumure and Szczokin when asked how her team was able to shut them down. “I don’t think we did [shut them down],” said the coach. “Obviously we did it enough, but I don’t know if you truly can. They’re both such great players, and very experienced, and talented, and fast, and I think in a game like this, they’re going to put their team on their shoulders and try to make plays.
We’re not just sitting on the sidelines clapping away. There are a lot of things we could have done a lot better, and I think we gave up some open shots to those two and let them make plays that we shouldn’t have. But obviously, the other side of that is, we try against two players like that to make them think [about] every possession. We did a pretty good job of that – at times.”
Gee-Gees head coach Rose-Anne Joly talked about the play from her backcourt. “What [Saumure] did today was all with her heart,” adding that the game was the two-time OUA Defensive Player of the Year’s last.
“You can tell that she takes pride in her defence and she wanted it on the offensive side. It’s a tough game, I mean Carleton, kudos to them, they had an amazing game and they had a great game plan against our defence. Obviously, when you’re a good team you have to have more than one or two people show up. That was the case on the Carleton side, wasn’t so much the case on our side.”
Saumure spoke glowingly about her short, but memorable time with the program. “I’m so glad to have experienced at least one year as a Gee-Gee,” said Saumure. “I feel like moving to Ottawa hasn’t only allowed me to become a better basketball player, but has also made me more resilient and an overall better person.
It was definitely an adjustment coming to a new team but there’s a lot of talent on this team and it was a thrill to be able to be a part of it for sure. We’re a bunch of competitors here and I think that’s a big reason we were able to steal a win from Carleton. We proved that when we can work together as a unit, great things can happen.”
Saumure finished by reflecting on her decorated career. “For now, I’m hanging it up and am just so thankful for the people, the lessons, the competitions, and everything that basketball has given me. It’s all about the journey, and wow, I wouldn’t change mine for a thing!”
Joly spoke excitedly about what next year will be like for Szczokin, who was named to an OUA All-Star team for the third time in her career. “Obviously she’s amazing. Today didn’t really represent her talent, but when she gets going there’s nothing stopping here. She can create with absolutely nothing, and [dish] assists, she’s not selfish and she looks for her players. She did grow a lot this year, mostly on the defensive side, she’s going to have a crazy year next year.”
Joly also reflected on what forward Victoria Brideau’s selection to the conference’s All-Rookie team meant. “I’m so excited about that award for her. I was afraid that coaches weren’t going to vote for her, because compared to other recruits in the league she didn’t have the same numbers. But she was playing for a top-ten team, so I’m very happy the coaches voted for her.”
Brideau, a Quebec City native, made her only field goal attempt while racking up seven rebounds on the evening. The 6’3” forward finished with regular season averages of 5.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.5 per cent from the field.
The Ravens will face off against the Queen’s Gaels in the OUA Critelli Cup Championship on March 2 at the Raven’s Nest. Both teams have already earned a spot in the U SPORTS Final 8, which will take place in Edmonton from March 7 to March 10.
