Eighteen championship games.
Eighteen wins.
Zero losses.
In a season shaped by injuries, adversity and modest expectations, the Carleton Ravens once again found a way to reach the top of Canadian university basketball.
On Sunday night in Calgary, the Ravens added another chapter to their dynasty.
Led by a historic performance from Vancouver guard Aubrey Dorey-Havens, Carleton defeated the Bishop’s Gaiters 78–75 to capture the 2026 U SPORTS national championship, the program’s 18th national title.
The title game featured an unlikely championship matchup, with fifth-seeded Bishop’s facing sixth-seeded Carleton in a battle between two teams that had fought their way through the bracket to reach the final.
The Gaiters had also handed the Ravens one of their toughest losses earlier in the season, defeating Carleton 67–42 in Ottawa during the House-Laughton Tournament — the Ravens’ largest margin of defeat all year.
Bishop’s entered the national tournament as the fifth seed after falling 81–78 to Laval in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship game, ultimately receiving the tournament’s wildcard berth. The Gaiters had spent much of the season among the country’s top-ranked teams, holding the No. 1 ranking for four weeks and No. 2 for seven weeks in the national polls.
The Ravens also arrived in Calgary looking to rebound from disappointment just a week earlier, when they fell 66–56 to the TMU Bold in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship game.
Dorey-Havens delivered the performance of a lifetime in the championship, scoring a career-high 35 points while connecting on nine three-pointers — a new national championship game record. The six-foot-three guard shot 12-for-24 from the field, adding six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes to earn tournament MVP honours.
The outburst was well above his production during the regular season, when Dorey-Havens averaged 14.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds across 36 games.
A product of Windsor Secondary and Western Canada Prep Academy, Dorey-Havens — an OUA First Team All-Star this season — cemented his place in Canadian university and Carleton basketball history by hitting nine three-pointers, breaking the previous championship game record of eight set by Osvaldo Jeanty in 2005 against Concordia and surpassing the seven three-pointers made by former Ravens star Philip Scrubb in the 2012 national final against Acadia.
The championship matchup lived up to its billing. The game featured 15 ties and 18 lead changes as neither team managed to create separation in a tightly contested 40-minute battle.
The decisive moment came in the final half-minute. With Bishop’s trailing 76–75 and 29.3 seconds remaining, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) Player of the Year Charles Robert attacked a closeout from the top of the three-point line in a half-court set with the shot clock winding down and appeared to give the Gaiters the lead at the rim.
Instead, officials whistled Robert for an offensive foul, ruling that Carleton defender Dylan Kayijuka had established position. The call wiped out the basket — though replays suggested Kayijuka may have been sliding on the play.
Moments later, Dorey-Havens calmly converted two free throws on the ensuing possession to extend Carleton’s lead, helping seal the Ravens’ 78–75 victory.
“I just love this team so much,” an emotional Dorey-Havens said after the game. “I never thought I’d be here honestly. The coaches have worked for three years trying to get back to this for Carleton and so much hard work has been put into this team — working in the summer, grinding every day. I just owe it to my teammates.”
Carleton’s path to the championship was defined by resilience.
Earlier in the year, the Ravens lost guard Abraham Osman Jr. to a torn ACL. Osman Jr. was expected to play a major role for the team before the injury ended his season. The Ravens were also without leading scorer Marjok Okado, who suffered an injury in the national quarterfinal against Laval, while forward Emanuel Milon battled through injury down the stretch.
Despite the setbacks, Carleton continued to find ways to win.
“A lot,” said head coach Taffe Charles when asked what the championship meant. “These guys have battled hard. We’re hurt, two starters down, just a lot of adversity this year. I can’t believe it — two of our main guys were hurt, but we just tried to find a way. That’s been our thing all season. We just keep trying to find a way to win and I’m so proud of these guys.”
The Ravens opened the national tournament with an 85–69 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or in the quarterfinals before grinding out a defensive 58–52 win over the TMU Bold in the semifinal.
Dorey-Havens struggled in that semifinal matchup, scoring just five points while shooting 0-for-5 from the field, but responded in spectacular fashion in the championship.
“I mean I got hot early and I just knew I could get to my spots and get my shot whenever I wanted,” Dorey-Havens said. “I’ve had some games where I just can’t buy a bucket the past couple of weeks, but I always bounce back the next game. Stay resilient. That’s what I did.”
Carleton also received key contributions from its younger players throughout the tournament.
Freshman guards Tyler Brown, Mark Dike and Ottawa native Dylan Kayijuka all played important roles during the championship run. Brown and Dike stepped up in the semifinal victory over TMU, with Brown finishing with seven points and eight rebounds while Dike added nine points and four rebounds, including three clutch three-pointers down the stretch.
Kayijuka added seven points in the championship game and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line, while Nelson Cilien chipped in 10 points and Brown contributed nine.
Following the victory, Dorey-Havens reflected on the teammates who were unable to finish the season.
“I can’t even describe the feeling,” he said. “MJ got hurt and he’s a huge part of our team, our leading scorer. Emanuel Milon has been playing hurt. And AJ Osman tore his ACL earlier in the season and he was going to play a huge role for this team. So we knew we just had to keep fighting every day and everyone stepped up, guys took on new roles and everybody battled.”
The moment was made even more special with family in attendance.
“I got my whole family here — my mom, my cousins, my friends, my grandparents,” he said. “Some of them drove here from the west coast. To do it in front of them is an unreal feeling. I can’t even believe it.”
The championship also marked another milestone for Charles, who captured his fourth national title as head coach of the Carleton men’s program. Charles previously led the Carleton women’s team to a U SPORTS national championship in 2018 and was also part of five national championship teams as an assistant coach with the Ravens men’s program earlier in his career.
For a program defined by championships, Sunday’s victory was another reminder of Carleton’s remarkable legacy. The Ravens have now captured 18 national championships in the past 23 years, since winning the program’s first U SPORTS men’s title in 2003.
Eighteen championship appearances.
Eighteen victories.
And on this night in Calgary, Aubrey Dorey-Havens delivered the performance that ensured the Ravens’ perfect record in national championship games would live on.
