Another week, another Marauder sweep
Another week, another sweep.
Not just any old sweep, though. This time, McMaster grabbed two wins at Lakehead University – the first time since 2005-06 they were able to do so. That same year is the last time Mac made it to the CIS Final 8 tournament.
The Marauders’ performance was impressive, as they never gave the Thunderwolves a real chance. In the second game, Mac went on a 9-0 with 44 seconds left in the half to put the game out of reach. It was the best their press had looked all year, and sucked the life out of the notorious Thunderdome.
McMaster would go on to score 101 points; the first time they eclipsed the century mark since January of 2012. It can be an arbitrary measurement of offensive output when provided alone, but Mac truly had a great night of scoring. They shot 33-67, good for 49.3 percent, while also knocking down 11-23 three point attempts and 24-28 free throw looks.
“We needed this,” said Amos Connolly of the 101-64 win.
With the weekend sweep and win over Brock giving McMaster 13 straight wins, the end of the regular season in sight. The team is gelling and issues are drying up. The offence is coming from everywhere on the floor, the three-point shooting is improving and Connolly is keeping his incredibly talented roster on their toes.
The team has not been challenged since they played Windsor, and will face a difficult test on Feb. 8 when they travel to take on the Lancers. Windsor was missing three starters in that game – Josh Collins, Rotimi Osuntola Jr., and Evan Matthews – and will likely not face the same problems this time around. All three players logged minutes in the Lancers last two games against Guelph and Western.
A win over Windsor would clinch the OUA West and set McMaster up to avoid Carleton for as long as possible. The Lancers are 10-1 at home and riding a seven-game win streak. Even with a loss, Mac would likely still win the division over Windsor because of a two-game lead, but the coaching staff does not want to leave it up to chance.
As long as Mac finishes the regular season strong, they will grab the No. 1 seed and be in the best position to return to the national tournament after a seven-year drought. Not a bad time to be a fan of the Maroon and Grey.
