The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s basketball team fell 74-54 to the No. 1 Carleton Ravens on Saturday, February 7 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

The Blues shot 50% from beyond the arc in the first quarter, led by three Patrick Sewell (London, Ont.) three-pointers. However, Ravens fourth-year forward Kevin McCleery (Bloomfield, Ont.) went 4-for-4 from the floor as Toronto struggled with Carleton’s high-powered offence.

Sewell’s nine points helped keep the Blues within reach, trailing only by three points at the end of the first quarter.

The Ravens found their wings and began to widen the gap, limiting the Blues to only nine points in each of the next two quarters. Carleton held a sizeable 57-32 advantage going into the final frame.

With fresh legs on the court in the fourth quarter, third-year guard Anthony DeGiorgio (Toronto) attempted to rally the Toronto squad with an eight-point fourth-quarter performance, including three three-pointers.

Despite outscoring the Ravens 22-17 in the fourth, the Blues could not find a way back from their earlier twenty-point deficit and fell 74-54.

Sewell was named the Blues player of the game with a team-high 13 points, including four three-pointers, five boards, and three steals. Rob Paris (St. Catharines, Ont.) tallied nine points and five boards in the loss.

The Ravens were led by Stuart Turnbill’s (Kingston, Ont.) game-high 18 points, while McCleery finished the night with 14. Robert Saunders (Kingston, Ont.) also added ten points in the Carleton victory.

The Varsity Blues close out their 2008-09 regular season on the road next weekend (Feb. 13-14). Toronto takes on the York Lions on Friday and the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday. Game time on both days is 8 p.m.