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Rams struggle to score, take tough loss against undefeated Ravens

By Xavier Eeswaran 

The Ryerson Rams men’s basketball team shot a season low 31.7 per cent and moved to 12-6 on the season after losing 84-61 at the hands of the undefeated Carleton Ravens at the Coca-Cola Court on Saturday night.

Despite the game ending with a 23-point advantage for the Ravens, the Rams pushed for a comeback late in the second half – resulting in the deficit being cut down to just 10 with eight minutes left in the 4th quarter.

The comeback, however, would dwindle and the Ravens’ dominant lead would resurface. The Rams were behind for most of the game, as the defending national champions played a sharp and sound game leading to a resounding win over the home team at the end.

“We brought it back in the second half but you know when it counted we just couldn’t take care of the ball,” said Rams lead assistant coach Borko Popic. “Not only did we lose possessions, (but) we (also) gave them fast breaks that went the other way and they were able to stretch the lead back to kind of comfortable spot.”

Carleton’s OUA-leading defence caused mental errors for the majority of Rams players, including last week’s OUA player of the week and the nation’s second leading top scorer, Ammanuel Diressa.

“We made some mental lapses down the stretch, myself included,” said Diressa, who led all scorers with 20 points. “We gave up a couple open shots and a lot of couple of offensive rebounds just lost concentration down the stretch.”

Despite the tough result, Popic says the team will move on just like with any other loss.

“We have to watch the film and see where exactly we need to make adjustments,” said Popic. “Tomorrow’s another day and we have to continue to improve (and) continue to work.”

UP NEXT: The Rams take on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Feb. 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

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