University of Carleton Ravens' Jacqueline Urban makes a pass against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees during U Sports women's basketball action in Ottawa in this March 8, 2025 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Charles Fortin *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Jacqueline Urban and the Carleton Ravens look to use their experiences of the past two seasons in their favour to three-peat at the U Sports women’s basketball Final 8.

The two-time defending national champions enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed after falling short of three-peating with a loss to Ottawa in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) title game on Saturday. The Ravens finished 22-0 in the regular season.

"I think without the past two years that we've had, this year wouldn't have been the same," Urban said. "We're able to use those experiences and we know we've been in big moments before, so we know what it takes to get there and what it takes to be successful in those moments.

"Definitely gives us a level of confidence and for us to be steady and help those who are younger and maybe haven't been in these moments before."

Carleton will open its title defence against RSEQ champion Bishop's Gaiters on Thursday in Vancouver.

The No. 1 seed Saskatchewan Huskies will face the No. 8 Alberta Pandas, the No. 2 Ottawa Gee-Gees take on No. 7 Laval Rouge Et Or and the No. 4 Saint Mary's Huskies are set to go up against the host and No. 5 UBC Thunderbirds.

The Ravens, who earned their second undefeated regular season in program history this season, look to use the loss to Ottawa as motivation and a means to enter the Final 8 with a chip on their shoulders.

"I think we're all really eager now," Urban said. "We haven't experienced the big loss during the season. And so having this, knowing that feeling, sitting with it for a little bit, we don't want to feel like that, and for it to be a season-ending feeling."

Carleton entered the year with some questions after losing star senior Kali Pocrnic to graduation after last season.

"(Kali) was a very dominant and important player for us and she's now playing overseas in Europe," Sinclair said. "It took us a bit of time to figure that out early in pre-season, but we have pretty competitive and motivated players who found a way to figure that out and were able to go on a pretty good run in a tough conference in the OUA.

"Going into the tournament, we're always going to be confident in our preparation, but we're definitely going to have to reset after a loss last night in the OUA final."

Sinclair was quick to point out, however, that it wasn't the Pocrnic show with a team full of "scrubs."

The Ravens boast plenty of talent to go with experience, with Urban and Kyana-Jade Poulin being first- and second-team OUA all-stars, in addition to Nathalie Francis who made the all-rookie team.

A driving factor for the Ravens' success, though, has been the work and the culture.

Urban said there are "super high standards" set by coaches, with the team starting to prepare for the season at the beginning of July.

Sinclair, who was named OUA coach of the year for the third straight season, has seemed to settle in since taking over the women's program in 2020. Two of the three national titles in program history have come under her tutelage.

She credits mentors she's had such as Kathy Shields, the winningest coach in U Sports women's basketball, and former Carleton men's coach Dave Smart, who won 13 national titles in 19 years.

"I learned from being around people like Kathy and Dave, you have to try to bring in good people and develop them into great basketball players," Sinclair said. "And have a culture of accountability (and) self accountability. And just putting team above self.

"That is what I think has led to us having success the last two years at the end is, we had fifth-year players who were selfless. They were great basketball players, but they were even better people. That's what's important to me. And we spend a lot of time on the basketball court getting better, but if you're not a team-first mentality and the hardest worker and accountable, then it doesn't work."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025