Scott Morrison is hoping history repeats itself this weekend.
Two years ago, after the Carleton Ravens handed the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s basketball team a humiliating 75-49 loss, Morrison’s squad got its revenge in the post-season, capturing their first OUA Wilson Cup Final Four banner with a 15-point win over Carleton.
Fast forward to 2012-13, and the Ravens were at it again on home court, crushing the Wolves 94-53, LU’s most lopsided loss since a 44-point defeat in December 2006 at the hands of the Ottawa Gee Gees, a season that saw the Wolves finish 1-21.
“I guess maybe we’ll point to some past success against Carleton,” Morrison said Wednesday night, leading his team through an intense Thunderdome practice, two days before they meet the Ravens in a nationally televised OUA semifinal contest at the vaunted Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
“The last two times we’ve beaten them, they’ve both come off blowouts like this. It doesn’t mean we’re going to beat them this time, of course. But I think with Carleton, they’re going to give their certain level every game. If you are good enough to match them on that day, you can stay with them. If not, they’re going to blow you out of the gym.”
The Ravens’ high-powered offence, which topped the nation with 91 points a night, will be a tough challenge for the Thunderwolves.
Philip Scrubb is the reigning CIS player of the year, averaged 18.6 points a game and is once again an OUA East first-team all-star. Teammate Tyson Hinz, who puts up 15.3 points a night, was the 2011 player of the year.
Add in Scrubbs’ older brother Thomas, and the Wolves defenders will have their hands full. Ottawa native Greg Carter, whose inspired play a week ago helped vault Lakehead into the Final Four for a fourth-consecutive year, acknowledged the humiliating November loss and said the Wolves are looking to show they’re a much different team this time around.
It’s that transition game that was so successful against McMaster that has to shine through against the Ravens, Carter said. It’s something that wasn’t there in the first half of the season, he added, and hopefully that’s their ace in the hole.
“Earlier in the year they did put a big spanking on us. But again, we’re a new team that’s been developing over the last few months, so I think it’s going to be a good game, for sure,” Carter said.
“Defensively we’re a lot better. We’re getting a lot better. We’re clicking. We’re at the right moment now, so I think we’re going to be all right.”
Carter agreed they can’t afford an uninspired first half like the one they put up against McMaster in the OUA West semifinal, a game that saw the Thunderwolves trailing by 12 at the half.
“Against Carleton, we’ve got to play a lot better than what we started off with (last week) … We can’t just hope to turn it on. We have to be more prepared coming into the game.”
They’ll also have to find a player – or players – who can fill the void left by the loss of forward Ryan Thomson, whose injured left knee will sideline him at the Wilson Cup, if not the rest of the post-season.
Last year Thunder Bay forward Matt Schmidt was asked to shoulder the load.
While Schmidt will likely get the start, Morrison said he’s going to ask several players to chip in a little more than usual, rather than put all the pressure on the hometown favourite.
Schmidt said as long as he and his teammates follow the strict game plan put in place by Morrison, things should be fine.
Trouble is, the roller-coaster Wolves have had difficulty doing so this season, which led to a 1-4 start.
“Yeah, yeah,” Schmidt said. “That really just gets down to us. Coach can tell us what to do, but it’s on us to follow it though. We’ve got to make a conscious effort to do what he says.”
Thomson, named an OUA West first-team all-star on Thursday, and his 14 points a game will be missed, there’s no question, Schmidt added.
“Thomson being hurt, it’s definitely tough. He’s one of our best players. I think it’s on everyone to step up and do a little extra. For me, myself, I guess that means just going a little harder, trying to rebound a little bit more and get some more shots up.”
Friday’s game is slated for 6 p.m. and can be seen on The Score.
Beyond the arc: Thomson's teammate Yoosrie Salhia was also named to the OUA West first all-star team. Salhia led the OUA with 32 blocks and had 207 rebounds, second best in the league. Also earning the nod were Windsor's Lien Phillip, McMaster's Taylor Black and Laurier's Max Allin. Lakehead freshman Joe Hart got a nod on the OUA West all-rookie team.
