Final 8: Turnbull comes through for Carleton

Words fail to describe the game just played.

"Carleton won 66-65" is the easy way out. But let's try some more.

It's two years in a row now that the Ravens have, to say the least, excited the crowd in their Saturday night semifinal at Scotiabank Place. Coming up with a way to describe it on the spot doesn't seem to work and others will have more details in the morning.

Stu Turnbull, seconds after missing two from the line, and even fewer seconds after Western took a narrow lead (65-64), scored the winning basket with absolutely no time left. All 40 intense minutes tonight (okay, maybe 25 or 26) were over once the ball found its way into the net. Hardly any mesh was disturbed on its arc.

The best way to react to the buzzer-beating shot? Carleton had one: they jumped up as one and piled on each other. The Mustangs had another: they just stood around, not sure where to walk or who to look at. Turnbull later took a breather, resting on the press table, just looking off into the middle distance near his ankles. He seemed to pause just to take in the moment for a bit, then of course he had to do some interviews and get his picture taken with some face-painted Carleton fans.

Again, time to reflect on the game will yield more complete thoughts. (49 personal fouls seems a little high, and someone with experience in deadline reporting probably has a game story written already.) But let it not be said that today's trip from Toronto to Ottawa was in vain.

There's more, much more to come tomorrow, but what can top that?

Good night from Scotiabank Place.
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13 comments:

  1. Incredible.. too bad about the reffing, a real black mark on an otherwise great game. Live sports doesn't get much better than what we saw tonight.

    Anyone know where I can find the highlights?

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  2. I agree about the officiating.
    Championship games should be decided essentially by the players themselves.
    Far too many marginal calls made tonight.
    Carleton had Doornekamp foul out and three others on the verge.
    Western too had several players in foul trouble.
    Many fouls were deserved, certainly.
    But many calls could have been let go.
    Great drama in this game, though.
    Hopefully, the final will be equally exciting.

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  3. Attendance at this tourney has been pitiful, a poor showing for "The Town Fun Forgot."

    And what's with the incredible number of bricks/airballs we've been seeing? Every game has had way too many ghastly shots, shots one should rarely see at this level. (To say nothing of the foul shooting we've seen.)

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  4. We must be at different tournaments because the attendance looks pretty close to last year when the record was set.

    I know some fans from the AUS are desperate to find as many ways as possible to slam Ottawa's job as host but lets not all drink the Kool Aid.

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  5. I am really getting sick of people wow the attedance is ever bad.Peosayple keep comparing ottawa to halifax which really you can't so.Ottawa has not one 1 nhl team 1 ohl 1 qmjhl team 5 jr a teams 2 cis teams.Then youa dd all the other stuff going on in ottawa.As for the remark the town fun forgot really the senators have avg 18,000 a game the 67s 8,000 a game the jr a team are doing well the cis could do better but are doing all right for the market there in.

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  6. The announced attendance figures are nowhere near how many people are in the stands. And 1,500 in a 18,000-seat arena makes for a terrible atmosphere.

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  7. Its holds about 21,000 for basketball.

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  8. It was pretty full in the lower bowl between the baskets; less than vs. Acadia when they announced 9,300.

    The big subtext is that Ottawa has one place to hold it an it's in an arena miles from both campuses, and with no public transit. It can be tough if you're a student.

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  9. How good was last night's game? How much are people paying attention?

    Well, in Guelph, hockey fans were leaving the OUA women's championship series game to sneak peaks in the campus pub.

    After I covered hockey, I stopped at a local sports bar. The game was on. People were glued to the final quarter - and HNIC was on the TV on the other side of the bar.

    After the game, five people showed up talking about the game.

    It was refreshing.

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  10. Dear Anonymouses (Anonymi?):
    What in the world are you talking about? The atmosphere was incredible yesterday, and the 100-level sections lining the court on both sides were packed. And this wasn't even for just the Carleton game.
    Do you really expect a University bball game to draw 19000 because that's the capacity of the arena? Get real. There was a large, loud, and excited crowd that has loved every minute so far and will absolutely be back today.

    It's frustrating that after some great basketball, all you dopes can do is moan about Ottawa. I hear the weather's nice out east these days.. maybe you should step out of your basement and get some air.

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  11. Relax Haligonians. No need to slam to slam Ottawa bwcause yoiu are mad that Ottawa took the tourney away for three years.
    Relax because you have it back for 2011-2012.
    Spend your energies ensuring a good show in 2011-2012. Your next concern should be not how Ottawa is doing--but who else might step up amd try to to outbid you for 2013. My guess is that Hamilton and Vancouver will be ready to bid next time around.

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  12. I was at the 12:30 and 2:30 games on friday and i did not find the crowds that bad for a weekday afternoon games.

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  13. I cant' believe the greatest block in recent CIS memory will be remembered as foul. As a huge fan of CIS, it saddens me that the Ravens had their ticket to the Final giftwrapped with a zebra colored bow.

    And what's with all the charges! Has the "over the back" call (crashing the glass if different than bulldozing the paint) been eliminated from CIS basketball in favour of Raven's undercutting opposing players 2 feet away from the hoop. When one of my players does that, they are benched. Challenge or don't challenge: dont endanger another player because you dont have the physical ability to defend properly.

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