WBB | Big First Quarter Fuels Laurentian to Victory Over Carleton
The Laurentian women's basketball team dropped a 61–45 decision to the Carleton Ravens on the first day of November. On Friday evening, they flipped the script, earning a 76–66 victory.
The Voyageurs came out firing, scoring 10 of the game's first 14 points. They continued their strong play, stretching the lead to eight after a Cadence Pecore three-pointer. Laurentian ultimately outscored Carleton 20–11 in the opening quarter.
The Vees opened the second on an 8–1 run to extend their cushion to 16. The Ravens trailed by as many as 19 before trimming the deficit to 14 heading into halftime.
The teams traded baskets for much of the third quarter, with Carleton cutting their deficit to 12. Pecore knocked down two more clutch threes late in the frame to keep Laurentian in control, as the hosts entered the fourth quarter with a 16-point advantage.
Carleton scored the first three points of the final frame to stay within striking distance, but Molly Adams answered with a three to restore the 16-point lead. Catherine Oliver responded from beyond the arc for the visitors, only for Audrey-Anne Labreche to counter with a three of her own. The Ravens continued to push, scoring six straight to cut the lead to seven. However, the blue and gold sealed the game when Labreche buried a dagger three with just over three minutes remaining, securing the 76–66 win.
Claudia Pellerin led the Voyageurs with 26 points and 13 rebounds, continuing her standout season. Emilie Lafond added 19 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Pecore provided 13 points in 15 minutes off the bench. Kyana-Jade Poulin paced the Ravens with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome a resilient Laurentian squad.
Laurentian shot an efficient 45.1 percent from the field, compared to Carleton's 27.6 percent. The Ravens generated 25 more shot attempts thanks to a plus-nine edge on the glass and a plus-six margin in turnovers. Carleton also held a 27–5 advantage in second-chance points, but the shooting disparity proved decisive.
Laurentian closes out the regular season Saturday evening against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, with the winner earning the right to host a playoff game.
- Olly Sankar