The Varsity Blues and Carleton Ravens faced off in an exciting match to open 2025 at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport on January 10. The Blues entered the showdown on a five-game losing streak, their most recent defeat a 77–96 loss to Ottawa Gee-Gees. Toronto aimed to bounce back and start the new year with a statement win against the 9–2 Ravens, but ultimately fell short, losing 59–86.
What happened?
The first quarter began slowly, with senior centre Lennart Weber sinking a pair of free throws and veteran guard Iñaki Alvarez slipping by the defence for a reverse layup to kick off Toronto’s scoring. However, midway through the period, the game’s tone was set.
Carleton had a stellar night from the three-point line, shooting four for six in the quarter en route to an impressive 43 per cent team clip from beyond the three-point arc. Guards Aubrey Dorey-Havens and Jacob Knight combined to lead the Ravens’ offence early, with three three-pointers in the opening period. Toronto’s strong interior defence was rendered ineffective as the Ravens consistently found open shooters on the perimeter.
Alvarez scored seven of his game-high 19 points in the first quarter, but they didn’t come easily — he faced double-teams all night and saw minimal space to operate. Unfortunately, the Blues couldn’t keep up with the Ravens’ hot shooting and aggressive defence, ending the quarter trailing 16–30.
At the beginning of the second quarter, another rout seemed imminent when Carleton guard Daniel Smith knocked down an open three-pointer. He finished the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds. However, the Blues responded with an inspired period, outscoring Carleton 18–15 to enter halftime trailing 34–45.
This turnaround was largely fuelled by the emergence of first-year forward Panashe Dumbu. Dumbu was dominant defensively, providing a much-needed spark as a reliable paint presence on offence. He displayed excellent chemistry with Weber, with the duo combining for an impressive five blocks apiece in the match. Dumbu also contributed four of his six total points in the quarter, including a strong putback layup with just over two minutes left in the half.
“Panashe’s obviously a super athletic guy… defensively, he’s a huge force in the paint, and offensively, he’s an unstoppable guy,” Weber told The Varsity in a postgame interview. “Coaches and staff were considering having him start the game, and I think after today, it shows he can.”
Dumbu’s breakout performance is a huge boon for the Blues entering the new year. If he can build on his strong showing against the Ravens, he could be key to Toronto turning their season around. While Alvarez and Weber are having stellar campaigns, the Blues cannot rely solely on them. Balanced scoring is essential, as evidenced by the Ravens’ finishing the night with five players scoring in double figures. The rookie’s potential emergence as a consistent scoring option, alongside players like Quarry Whyne and Simeon Jeffers, will undoubtedly help the Blues to move the ball well and improve offensively — “Euroleague style,” as Weber puts it. Euroleague basketball includes more passing, more team play, and more player movement off the ball.
The second half continued the Ravens’ onslaught from three-point range, with seemingly every Blues scoring run being answered by a timely three. Notable moments included Whyne’s impressive hustle to force a turnover, which led to a Weber three-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 45–55. Shortly after, Alvarez drilled a deep three to bring the Blues within eight at 50–58. Overall, though, it was a night to forget for the Blues, as the Ravens’ high-octane offence proved too much to handle. The game ended with a final score of 59–86 in favour of the Ravens.
What’s next?
“There’s a lot of stuff we did today that we’re happy about… we’ve just got to tweak some things for tomorrow, get better, fix those things, and get the win tomorrow [at York],” said Weber. Despite the lopsided loss, Friday night’s game showed flashes of promise and could spark a good run of form.
The Blues narrowly fell 82–77 on January 11 against the York Lions.
The Blues will look to bounce back on Sunday, January 19 when they travel to St. Catherines, Ontario to play the Brock Badgers.
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