The Carleton Ravens are the 2026 U SPORTS men’s basketball champions.
In a tightly contested gold medal game that came down to the final seconds, the Ravens held on for a 78–75 victory to claim the W.P. McGee Trophy and their 18th national championship in program history.
Neither team entered the tournament as conference champions. Carleton battled through their Wilson Cup finals opponents and OUA champions TMU Bold to reach the national final, while the Bishop's Gaiters proved their place in the Final 8 by defeating the AUS champion Acadia Axemen and Canada West champion Victoria Vikes.
Despite the neutral-site setting, it often felt like a home game for Bishop’s, with a large contingent of purple-clad supporters filling the stands at Jack Simpson Gymnasium. The Gaiters’ fanbase travelled in force, with many alumni booking flights the Saturday night after the team secured its place in the gold medal game.
Photo by Stephanie Bunch
“Bishop’s travels well,” Gaiters head coach Matt McLean said of the support throughout the tournament. “Anywhere we play with a lot of fans - that’s probably the best part about being from a small school. It’s all about our community at Bishop’s.”
For the Ravens, simply reaching the final had already tested their depth. Injuries sidelined multiple key contributors throughout the tournament, forcing others to take on larger roles.
“We had two of our three main scorers and two of our fourth-year guys unable to play,” Ravens head coach Taffe Charles said. “It’s hard to win, just generally. But I’m really proud of the group for the way they stepped up.”
Third-year guard Aubrey Dorey-Havens kept the Ravens within striking distance early, knocking down a pair of clutch shots to stabilize Carleton’s offence.
Still, Bishop’s edged ahead after the opening frame, taking a 20-17 lead into the second quarter.
A huge defensive play from Louth-Mohamed Coulibaly shifted momentum midway through the quarter, as his block created space for Cedric Mbiaba to drain a three-pointer, tying the game 23-23 with eight minutes left in the half.
With leading scorer Marjok "MJ" Okado sidelined following an injury in Carleton’s opening game of the tournament, Dorey-Havens has taken on a larger role - delivering on both ends of the floor to keep the Ravens competitive.
Every time Carleton threatened to pull away, the Gaiters responded. The physicality ramped up on both ends as each team fought to carry momentum into halftime.
Reggie Jean Seraphin led the way for Bishop’s in the opening half with nine points, going a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc. Charles Robert also made an impact, adding seven points while pulling down four rebounds.
The teams entered the break nearly even statistically, but Bishop’s carried a narrow edge into halftime.
Intermission provided a much-needed reset as the teams returned for the second half. Neither side leaned heavily on their bench in the opening half, but Charles made the first adjustment as the Ravens searched for momentum.
Bishop’s quickly found themselves in the foul bonus with more than five minutes still remaining in the quarter.
Yanis Malanda found success attacking the baseline for the Gaiters, converting several close-range opportunities to keep Bishop’s ahead.
Carleton continued to rely on Dorey-Havens, who drilled another well-timed three-pointer to bring his total to 17 points, including 15 from beyond the arc. But every Ravens surge was met with an immediate response from Bishop’s.
After another tightly contested frame, the Gaiters held a 56-54 lead heading into the final quarter.
Dorey-Havens wasted no time making his presence felt, opening the scoring with another three-pointer to keep the Ravens within a single point.
At the other end, Etienne Gagnon continued to disrupt Carleton’s offence, recording a double-double and forcing turnovers at key moments.
Carleton faced another setback when Mbiaba fouled out, costing the Ravens a veteran presence in the paint.
Still, Dorey-Havens refused to let the moment slip away. Midway through the quarter, he finished a layup through contact and converted the free throw to give Carleton a two-point edge.
As Bishop’s began to focus their defence on slowing him down, he adjusted by creating opportunities for teammates, including Nelson Cilien.
The back-and-forth continued in the final minutes. Robert briefly gave Bishop’s the lead with a three-pointer before Dorey-Havens answered with one of his own, pushing his total to a career-high 28 points.
Malanda tied the game at 71 with a layup, prompting a Bishop’s timeout with just over two and a half minutes remaining.
Late in the game, Dorey-Havens was even helping guide the Ravens’ offence from the floor.
“He was actually telling me what play he wanted to run,” Charles said. “At that point, you just let him do his thing.”
Dorey-Havens continued to rewrite his personal record book down the stretch, finishing with a career-high scoring performance while leading the Ravens’ offence in the closing minutes.
“My teammates played amazing today,” said Aubrey Dorey-Havens, who was later named Player of the Game and tournament MVP. “I couldn’t do anything without them. I was just trying to do whatever I could to help us win.”
Moments later, Dorey-Havens sank two crucial free throws in the final seconds, sealing a 78-75 victory and delivering Carleton its 18th national championship.
For Charles, the title represented not only a championship moment but the culmination of a season defined by resilience.
“These guys have put in blood, sweat and tears,” he said. “Guys are playing hurt, and to see them push through that and still get it done - I couldn’t be more proud.”
While the victory added another chapter to Carleton’s already illustrious program history, this title carried extra meaning for the Ravens.
Calgary native Marjok Okado was unable to play in the championship game after suffering an injury earlier in the tournament. From that moment on, the team’s preseason mission - “Bring MJ home” - took on even greater significance.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Ravens head coach Taffe Charles said of delivering the championship for Okado. “He’s put in a lot of work over the last five years and he’s going to graduate from Carleton, which is a big deal for him.”
“It’s his hometown,” Dorey-Havens said. “It’s sad he went down, because he’s been our leading scorer and such a key part of our team all season. We knew other guys had to step up."
Okado said the support from his teammates throughout the tournament meant everything.
“You think about all the work we put in — the early mornings, the late nights — and it all builds toward a moment like this,” Okado said. “Coach talked a lot about the mission of bringing MJ home. Now we’re home.”
Despite being sidelined for the final, Okado said the team never lost sight of its identity.
“Our identity is defence,” he said. “You saw how hard the guys played every possession this tournament. Staying confident, making the right plays — that’s what got us the win.”