“Really it’s the biggest crowd they’ll play in front of, including the national final.”
The number-one nationally seeded Gee-Gees faced off against their cross-town rival Carleton Ravens at TD Place for the 17th annual Capital Hoops Classic. This event is consistently dominated by the Ravens, but it was the Gees’ time to win this event and bring the trophy back to their school.
The first quarter started with a solid offensive effort from the Gees as guard Dragan Stajic set up Kevin Otoo for a solid layup, and Jacques-Mélaine Guemata hit a great wing-side three-pointer as well as a huge breakaway dunk off an Otoo steal. The Gees were playing great on both ends to establish a strong start on the floor.
The Ravens were struggling to produce offensively as the Gees gained a massive advantage over them early on the scoreboard. Their defense was okay but the Gees were stronger than them in the paint. Guemata hit a fadeaway jumper after forward Cid Ruhamyandekwe got the steal off to set up the transition. The first quarter ended with the Gees leading 26-12.
The second quarter started with a solid defensive effort by the Gees to maintain their double-digit lead. The Ravens were playing good defense as well to stop the Gees from taking it further, but the team secured free throws and contested layups to try and keep the game out of reach.
Gees head coach James Derouin gave his thoughts on how the Gees defended against the three so well. “Well, [we were] keeping Wazir Latiff and Marjok Okado from getting any looks from three. You know those two guys are top 10 shooters in the country, so if anybody was going to shoot a three, it wouldn’t be either of those two guys. But other than that, you know, just making sure the right guys are shooting the threes and then get out and contest.”
The Gees were shutting the Ravens down as they stopped big three-point attempts and formed a wall as forward Brock Newton blocked a big layup after his 15-foot shot hit on the possession before. Boos broke out from Ravens fans over a bad call that was made by officiating, however, it is not the referee’s fault that the Ravens were down by 11 with three minutes left in the quarter.
Brock Newton would then set up his brother, third-year guard Cole Newton on the wing to hit a phenomenal three-point shot. “I’m so grateful for having him out there with me,” Newton said about having his brother out on the court with him again, “It’s really surreal to be playing with my brother at a high level. And, maybe you look for a little bit extra, but being able to hook him up was definitely a big play.”
The lead was still large; the Ravens were doing a lot better attacking the paint but it was Koulamallah who ended the half with a mid-range jumper to make it 38-25.
The third quarter started with a big steal by Guemata on the Ravens to set up Brock Newton with the layup. The Gees started off rough against the Ravens but after a minute, they got back in rhythm on defense as they caused shot clock violations and took charges. However, the Ravens were improving with their three-point shooting to keep the game within 11 points.
The Ravens were fighting hard to get back into the game but the Gees kept coming back with an answer on offense. Stajic’s performance has improved since the first half as he put up more mid-range shots and set up plays with solid assists.
The lead was back down to single digits as the Ravens brought it from 11 points to nine points. That would quickly change as Ruhamyandekwe grabbed a defensive rebound, got fouled and scored a free throw to put the lead back where it belonged.
The Ravens would make a comeback at the end of the quarter to bring the game within three points as the Gees’ defense crumbled. They would attack the rim with proficiency and the Gees could not find an answer to it as the quarter ended 50-47 with the Gees still leading.
The fourth quarter started with Brock Newton driving the net for a big layup as it was time to remind the Ravens who was first in the nation. Stajic would hit a three-pointer and Guemata hit a nice put-back close shot as the team’s offensive effort was dominant once again. The Gees were back on the mission to take this game.
The Gees’ defense was back as they caused turnovers and necessary fouls to set up the Ravens for free throws. With Otoo hitting a solid corner three, the game got more and more out of reach for the Ravens as their fans deafened the stadium with their silence.
At the post-game presser, Derouin talked about Otoo’s play on the court. “Well, I thought [Otoo] had been struggling through most of the game up until that point. But, you know, he has this knack for stepping up in big moments there. He took the lead from nine to 12. And, you know, was it the winning shot? I mean, just not exactly, but, you know, it certainly helped put the game away.
The Gees came together to take this huge double-digit victory 71-61 as the Ravens fans flew away before the game ended to beat the traffic, and stay classy Carleton.
