That alone wasn’t quite worth the $32 (!) admission to last night’s semi final at the Usport (formerly CIS) basketball championships, but it did add something to the experience.
The Carleton Ravens were playing the Ryerson Rams with the winner moving on to face Calgary in the championship game.
Sue and I arrived at the Scotiabank Centre about a minute after tip off. The arena smelled of deep fryer and popcorn with squalls of perfume moving through the stands. The crowd was mostly younger, university aged. There were signs of alumni gathered from universities across the country, embroidered hats and coats, a reminder that Halifax is sort of a destination, at least within Canada. Near our section there were a lot of 10-year-old kids riding a serious arena concession food high.
On the court, in the middle distance, the teams were playing tight. Over zealous passes missed their target, the ball often skittered off limbs and out of bounds, somebody banked in a three.
Carleton was looking for its seventh straight national title, and 13th in 15 years, a dynasty that has turned every other school in the country into perennial also-rans. Ryerson came in to nationals ranked 5th, having lost in the Ontario championships to Carleton 84-58.
The score at the end of a nervous first quarter was 18-11. Improbably, Ryerson was the team with 18.
The magic of sports, people say, is in the unpredictability, the fact that anything can happen. But during the second quarter, the cynic in me questioned this logic. Unsurprisingly, as the quarter progressed, the Ravens started catching up. Eventually they pulled ahead of the Rams. Accompanying this change of momentum it was clear that the players were starting to play looser.
In fact, it seemed like Ryerson ending the first in the lead was the very thing that was causing the tension. I’ve felt this during basketball games, an unlikely surge ahead is always accompanied by the dread that it probably isn’t for keeps. In other words: sports are feeling pretty predictable right now.
Ryerson hit a late three to tie it at 36 going into the half and this was pleasing.
At half time I discovered that all those ten year olds sitting near us are the entertainment. They are part of Hantsport Minor basketball and they play a five minute full court game.
After the kids basketball there was the Acadia dance team, who did a short number that was pretty unsexy for a half time dance routine at a sporting event. I like this aspect of Canadian sports — there are no cheerleaders and the half time dance, with its baggy shirts and black pants costumes, was wholly intended as a showcase of dancing.
ANYWAY
Ryerson continued to attack in the second half. Nobody slacks on defense in these games, but the Rams were particularly tenacious. Carleton never seemed to be looking at the hoop when they were shooting. This was partly due to the above mentioned defense, but it also had a tinge of self inflicted juvenile panic, the panic of a team unfamiliar with being “up against it.”
By the fourth quarter it was apparent that the Rams were putting together the Game Of Their Lives. Despite this, the Ravens, built on a starless bunch of three point shooters, were hanging around, which, if you’ve ever been around a real raven, is something ravens like to do.
It wasn’t until late in the fourth that it started to look like maybe Ryerson might actually, possibly win. With about two minutes to go the Rams hit a three to make it 75-67. With a minute left the Rams’ star Manuel Diressa hit a big layup to make it 77-71. It was still a two possession game, but that layup felt dagger-ish and after some late game foul shooting, the underdog Ryerson was on its way to the championship.
And that’s the beauty of sports — they’re so unpredictable.