Marauder fans saw two different teams don the Maroon and Grey for the women’s basketball team this week.

The young team walked away from opening weekend with a 1-1 record. McMaster took on the York Lions on Nov. 9 for the first game of the season and defeated the undersized Lions 59-47, in what Head Coach Theresa Burns called a team effort.

The first quarter would be an offensive struggle for both teams with free throws generating majority of the offense. Despite a noticeable height advantage in favour of Mac, the team used rookie Danielle Boiago to step in for an injured Vanessa Bonomo.

“We needed [Boiago] to handle the ball for us and I thought she gave us really solid minutes,” Burns said. “She directed traffic really well, especially for a rookie point guard.”

Her play gave McMaster the lead after the first, 13-12.

Physical play would be the story of the second quarter. Fights for loose balls often ended with a slew of players hitting the hardwood and emotions ran high for the two teams. McMaster looked to the fourth-year forward Hailey Milligan and used her play in the post to carry the offensive load through the quarter. Rookie Danielle Boiago filled in for an injured Vanessa Bonomo and helped the team find an offensive rhythm.

Defensively, the Marauders used a full-court press and strong rotations to force poor shots. The home team allowed only six points in the second quarter, while scoring 19 themselves. McMaster headed into the locker room with a 32-18 lead.

In the third quarter, McMaster’s mistake gifted the Lions easy points. Turnovers and poor defensive rebounding allowed York to get shots in close, but struggles in the half-court offense kept the visitors at bay. Going into the fourth, McMaster held a 43-31 lead and used the advantage to give younger players playing time.

Mac’s youth performed well on the offensive end, but their work defensively needed improvement. Three point shooting and transition buckets gave York a chance to make this a competitive game, but Coach Theresa Burns put all the starters back in to secure the victory.

But the team had little time to celebrate, with their second game of the season the following night. Hailing from Sudbury, Ont. the Laurentian Lady Voyageurs took the court at Burridge Gym and gave McMaster more than they could handle.

On offense, McMaster failed to react to a zone defense from Laurentian and was caught over-passing the ball. What seemed liked unselfish play was actually damaging the offense and the Marauders hit a dry spell in the middle of the second quarter.

With three mediocre quarters of basketball behind them, the Maroon and Grey held a 43-41 lead, with their opponents looking gassed. But when Laurentian stepped up the physicality, McMaster showed their age and collapsed.

“It was a mental breakdown and a lack of focus,” said Burns. “We got caught in transition. For a team that prides itself on fitness and our transition game, our transition game was terrible.

But the youth cannot take all of the blame. McMaster needed their veterans to step up and lead their team, but instead the veterans caved under pressure. Milligan and Liz Burns had five and four turnovers respectively, giving the Lady Voyageurs easy chances.

It was a frustrating result, but one to be expected when a team is built around a core of first- and second- year players. McMaster has a chance to get back in the win column with a trip to Ottawa this weekend. The Ottawa Gee-Gees host the Marauders on Nov.16. They suffered two losses to open their season.

On Nov.17, the No.4 Carleton Ravens will. To succeed, Mac will have to make up for a lack of depth with a strong defensive effort, as points will be hard to come by.

Strong play from the veterans is a must for the Marauders. Without standout performances from the upper-years, it could be a disappointing road trip.

New season, new goals, and new faces. The 2012-13 McMaster Marauders women’s basketball campaign is set to be a minor restart for the program but that doesn’t mean that this season will be a write-off.

The team says goodbye to Taylor Chiarot, one of the finest players to don the Maroon and Grey for the Marauders. Filling her position won’t happen overnight, but that isn’t discouraging the team. “All the players on this team will comment on it: there is something special about this team,” said Coach Theresa Burns on the locker room chemistry of this team.

With only three players in their fourth year and the rest being a mix of first, second and third years, the word “young” is being thrown around to describe the McMaster squad. But age may not be the detractor some think, as Mac isn’t using age for any kind of measurement of skill. Look at their preseason play: the leading scorer was rookie Danielle Boiago, a home-grown point guard with a knack for getting to the free throw line and finding her shooting touch early in games. Next on the scoring list is a second year guard, Isabel Ormond.

To cope with the struggles a young team can have, Coach Burns is taking small steps to build towards a larger goal. “We get our players to focus everyday on small goals. We give goals every day and every practice. We’re very internally focussed,” said Burns.

These goals started after the 2012 spring exam schedule. The team was back in the gym with the strength and conditioning staff, bringing their fitness levels to new heights in order to prepare for the upcoming season. The time spent in the David Braley Athletic Centre has paid off, and the team looks to be in mid-season form to tip-off the season.

Although the team has had a strong preseason showing with their young players, the importance of the upper year players cannot be ignored. Heather Milligan will be relied upon for both her post presence and her leadership. One of the three fourth years, Milligan has emerged as the veteran voice for the team and has been active on both ends of the court throughout the exhibition games. Vanessa Bonomo, another fourth year will be relied on heavily for consistent play. Her decision-making in the backcourt will be an x-factor early in the season as young guards get used to the pace of the university competition.

Speaking of pace, look for the Marauders to push the ball up the court every opportunity they can. The team’s formula for getting out in transition will be defence and forcing turnovers, which is a huge reason for the fitness focus of the offseason. Getting easy fast break points will be key to breeding confidence in a young team, and Burns has tailored the system to accomplish that.

The story of the 2012-2013 campaign will be how fast the Marauders can put all the pieces together. The team cannot afford a slow start to the season based on the competitiveness of this year’s OUA season.

“It’s a total dogfight. Every game will have such an effect on the standings,” said Coach Burns.

To start the season, the OUA contains three of the top-ten ranked CIS teams: No.1 Windsor Lancers, No.4 Carleton Ravens and No.9 Laurier Golden Hawks. Fortunately for McMaster, they’ll only have to take on the Ravens before the winter exam break.

Coach Burns’ objective for the year is simple: “The goal is always to win a championship. That can be a cliché, a lot of people talk about that. But I feel like this year, as much as any year we’ve had here, we’re building towards that.” The age of the roster speaks to this too, with a young roster with a high ceiling.

The upcoming season is difficult to predict. Mac’s preseason gives fans hope, especially after a narrow loss to the University of Victoria. But exhibition results are not a sure bet and with an impending learning curve for the first year players, where McMaster will be in March is unpredictable. Basketball action tips off Friday against the York Lions at 6 p.m., followed by a Saturday match against the Laurentian Lady Voyageurs at 6 p.m. also.

The McMaster women’s basketball team continued to impress this weekend, notching a 79-54 win over the Calgary-based Mount Royal Cougars here in the Burridge Gym.

            It was a game that saw Mac dominance throughout, with the Marauders employing a highly effective trap defense to force a total of 33 Mount Royal turnovers. The team used its speed to capitalize on every opportunity, leading to a plethora of fast-break points.

            Among the many storylines that came from this game was the career high 28-point performance by McMaster second-year forward Isabel Ormond. It was clear from early in the game that she would have a standout performance, scoring 10 of the Marauders’ first 14 points.

            The Cougars would rally to end the first quarter down 14-15, but the second quarter was where the Maroon and Grey really shined.

            The Marauders opened the frame with a quick basket by veteran point guard Vanessa Bonomo, which was followed quickly by an energy-boosting three-pointer from rookie Danielle Boiago. Bonomo and Boiago would continue to dominate on both sides of the court, forcing a multitude of turnovers and executing perfect passes to help swell Mac’s lead.

            The Marauders’ lockdown defensive play helped raise their lead to double-digits, with the majority of their points coming from full-court passes off of hard-earned turnovers. The team even forced a rare eight-second backcourt violation, with the Cougars simply unable to find their way out of the full-court press.

             A halftime lead of 44-27 was only the beginning for McMaster. The third quarter saw another increase in their lead as the women’s squad continued to apply tremendous defensive pressure to a hapless Mount Royal team.

            The fourth quarter began with a score of 65-38, and opened with a quality pick-and-roll between Vanessa Bonomo and centre Hailey Milligan, leading to a crowd-energizing and-one.

            Mac faced a real scare, however, when Bonomo fell to the ground while fighting her way through traffic in the offensive zone. She was unable to stand up and left the game with an ankle injury. Bonomo’s inability to play would adversely affect the team, as her play-making abilities and solid defensive presence have both been major factors in the team’s success thus far.

            Bonomo’s injury allowed rookie guard and last week’s Athlete of the Week Danielle Boiago to step up her game during the fourth quarter. She hit a couple of big-time shots from beyond the arc and made quality passes, finishing the game with 17 points and seven assists.

            By the final buzzer, Mac retained a solid 25-point lead, beating the Cougars by a score of 79-54.

In their second game of the weekend, McMaster played hosts to the Acadia women’s basketball team this past Saturday in Burridge Gym. Despite an early lead by Acadia, the Maroon and Grey handed the Acadia Axewomen a 79-73 defeat after four intense quarters of basketball.

After previous game action loss against University of Victoria, the Marauders had to shake it off and rally together to ensure they would come out on top against Acadia. Despite the fast pace of the game early on for the Marauders, Acadia responded well by outscoring them in the first quarter 23-14.

Second quarter proved to pay off in favourr of the Marauders, as their defensive performance was outstanding. They were able to hold off the Axewomen to just seven points and managed to score 19 points of their own in the process. The Marauders continued to overpower Acadia as the game continued, heading into halftime with a 33-30 lead over the Axewomen.

In the previous game against Victoria, the third quarter was Mac’s downfall. But the women proved that this was just a one time thing as the Marauder contingent showed an amazing response to the three point margin.

The Marauders began the second half of the game with strong play topropelled their lead further, giving a 55-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

Acadia picked up the pace in the fourth quarter, trying to cut the McMaster lead. But the Marauders proved to be in control of the game as they maintained their lead and held on for the remaining minutes to pull out the win.

Isabel Ormond of the McMaster Marauders had a break-out game as she was the leading scorer for the Maroon squad, putting up 16 points in the game. Danielle Boiago and Vanessa Bonomo also put forth a great effort for the Marauders each putting up 15 points.

It may only be preseason, but the McMaster Marauders women’s basketball team is not taking any game lightly.

Through two exhibition tournaments and one exhibition, the Mac ladies have put together solid performances despite being a relatively young team.

The first game of the preseason was against Algoma University, a team set to join OUA action in the 2013-14 athletic season. McMaster won the game handily, 83-46.

The game was a healthy mix of defense and offense from the Maroon and Grey, featuring a 23-4 score in favour of Mac after the first quarter.

The team is learning how to play without one of it’s biggest parts, as Taylor Chiarot, a former OUA All-Star, graduated from Mac and earned a pro basketball contract with a German club.

The transition from the Chiarot era has been smoothed over by rookie Danielle Boiago, who has already earned the honour of McMaster’s female Athlete of the Week. Boiago, a homegrown Hamilton student-athlete, has strung together standout performances throughout the preseason and is an early candidate for the OUA Rookie of the Year.

Boiago & Co. represented McMaster at the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic tournament, hosted by Ryerson University at their new athletic centre.

The Marauders kicked off tournament play against the Saskatchewan Huskies. Despite an early first half lead, the Marauders battled through a 17-point deficit to challenge the Canada West opponent, but fell at the hands of the Huskies 73-63.

Veteran Heather Milligan put together a solid game, with 15 points and seven rebounds, but it was Boiago’s performance that jumps off the box score.

The point guard dropped 30 points on a staggering 17-32 shooting performance, which also included 4-8 shooting on three pointers.

The next game was a strong collective defensive performance by the team, forcing the Ryerson Rams into 32 turnovers. Milligan put her mark on the game in the paint, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds to aid McMaster to victory over the tournament hosts.

In the fifth-place match, the Marauders met a strong Brock Badgers squad, whose defensive intensity resulted in the Maroon and Grey posting a 31.6 per cent field goal percentage.

In the fourth quarter, the Badgers brought the offense, scoring 25 points to seal the victory.

McMaster’s Milligan would again be a standout player for the Marauders scoring 23 points and hauling in 16 rebounds, while Boiago offset a tough shooting day with 12 points coming from free throws.

This past weekend the Marauders hit the road and headed to Laval to take on a mix of teams from across Canada in another exhibition tournament.

After defeating the University of Prince Edward Island and York University, Mac met the tournament hosts in the final game.

The final saw a continuation of a common theme for the Marauders’ victories this season, with defense leading the Marauders to victory over the Rouge et Or.

The Marauders were able to shut down the Laval offense, which held the Quebec team to an ugly 27 per cent field goal percentage.

It was the same names leading the charge for McMaster, with Milligan and Boiago leading the scoring charge yet again.

McMaster’s preseason action continues over the weekend, where the Marauders will play two more non-conference opponents.

First, on Thursday Oct. 25, the women will host the University of Victoria, the opening home game of the 2012 season and it will tip off at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, Oct. 28, McMaster hosts Mount Royal University, from Alberta. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.

Brandon Meawasige

Assistant Sports Editor

 

The McMaster women’s basketball team announced this week that local standout Danielle Boiago, point guard at Hamilton’s St. Thomas Moore Catholic Secondary School, has committed to spend her university basketball career as a Marauder.

Boiago is the first recruit to commit to the women’s program this year, and will join a team that is loaded with young talent at the guard position.

“Danielle was our #1 recruiting priority and we are extremely pleased that she has committed to McMaster. There may be other players to add in coming days but none to report at this time,” said head coach Theresa Burns about Boiago and the plan for recruiting.

“We feel that we have added a key piece of the puzzle with Danielle. Player development over the summer will focus on individual skill development that will help address team needs particularly in the area of perimeter scoring.”

As a highly touted recruit, Boiago will be expected to make an impact immediately, something that Burns believes is quite possible for the freshman, who will be studying Kinesiology at Mac.

“I do believe Danielle will make an impact right away, and play significant minutes right away. Like all first-year players she will go through a learning and adjustment period at this level but I think she will adjust fairly quickly.”

The signing of top recruit like Boiago is a victory for the Marauders, who have traditionally been a contending team under Burns but have failed to make noise in the OUA playoffs over the past three seasons.

“McMaster is a school that has so much to offer. Coach Burns and her coaching staff have done an incredible job in developing the women's basketball program and the Kinesiology program is a perfect fit for me. I feel privileged that all of the things I was looking for in a school happened to be in my hometown,” Boiago told the Sil this week.

On the court, Boiago brings with her an intriguing skill set, according to coach Burns.

“She has a complete skill set; she is strong offensively, defensively and has great work ethic and will to compete. She is a great teammate, positive, supportive.

“We feel that we have added a key piece of the puzzle with Danielle. Player development over the summer will focus on individual skill development that will help address team needs particularly in the area of perimeter scoring.”

As for the 5’7” Boiago, next season will offer a chance to learn the CIS game and develop as a player, “I'm a calm, but competitive player. I love the fast-paced game that the Marauders play and as a point guard I have the ability to get the ball up the court for easy transition baskets. I also have experience playing the shooting guard position and I'm comfortable taking the outside shot,” says Boiago.

Boiago lists her favorite CIS player is Jacklyn Selfe, a University of Western Ontario guard who ironically helped eliminate the Maroon and Grey from the OUA playoffs this past season, but has high hopes to make her own impact in the CIS this year.

“I know I will learn a ton from the coaching staff as well as the other girls on the team and I hope to make a quick and smooth transition. As far as goals for the next five years, I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. I'm just excited to be moving on to a new chapter in my basketball career,” says the high school standout.

Boiago is no stranger to the spotlight, as she competed and brought home gold medals for both team Ontario at nationals and the city of Hamilton overseas in Greece. Boiago says it’s for the Hamilton born recruit, to be pursued by her hometown school.

“It is an honor to be pursued by a school like McMaster that has a reputation for excellence both on the court and in the classroom,” shared Boiago.

Holding up that reputation of excellence should require no transition for Boiago, who averages 23 points per game for her Hamilton club team, Blessed Sacrament in the provincial JUEL league, leading all scorers with those numbers.

For a team like the Marauders, who made the playoffs last season, adding a player like Danielle Boiago could potentially make the difference between simply making the playoffs and being a serious championship contender.

With this signing being the first of several according to Burns, next season could see a shakeup at the top of the OUA West standings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Orr

Silhouette Staff

 

It is fitting that the Marauders would finish the season with an 11-11 record, as the 2011-12 season was as up-and-down one sometimes defined by a struggle to compete with the elite in the OUA.

Still, much can be said for a young women's squad winning 11 games and earning a playoff berth, and undoubtedly the atmosphere surrounding the program heading into the off-season is a positive one.

The season would begin at Burridge Gym in the form of a loss to a strong Carleton Ravens team which would go on to win 17 games and capture second in their division. It would end on the same floor with a loss to the rival Western Mustangs, as the Maroon and Grey would fail to advance to the conference quarterfinals. The Marauders jockeyed for position all season long with the Mustangs, who finished with an identical 11-11 record.

Notably, Coach Theresa Burns was unable to be on the sidelines for her team’s final game after suffering a concussion while playing pick-up hockey.

The Marauder women struggled all season long to capture positive momentum and put any kind of streak together. It was indeed a season characterized by mediocrity, as the squad was never far below .500, but never surged up the standings either. The team suffered numerous injuries, especially in the new year, most notably to rising star Abby Hurd. Coach Burns struggled with putting a consistent starting five on the floor night in and night out.

The injuries forced the youth of the team to rise to the occasion, and rise they did. Along with Hurd, a rookie, Liz Burns, Vanessa Bonomo and Hailey Milligan all had strong campaigns in their third season competing for McMaster.

The brightest spot of the season came in the form of fifth year senior and captain, Taylor Chiarot. After a standout season which saw her average 17 points a game and grab 126 defensive rebounds, Chiarot was named an OUA West First-Team All-Star for the first time in her illustrious career at Mac. Her 1,289 career points are good enough for 13th all time in OUA history and make her the all-time leading scorer for the McMaster Marauders women's program.

Jessica Clemençon of Windsor won her second straight Player of the Year award and her coach, Chantal Vallée took home Coach of the Year honours. The Lancers completed the season with a 20-2 record, the best in the in the province.

Not surprisingly, the top four teams from the regular season will compete at the OUA Final Four at the University of Ottawa this weekend. In the semi-finals, the Brock Badgers will take on the hosting Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens will take on the aforementioned Lancers, who look to defend their title. OUA supremacy will be decided on March 3 at 8 pm.

The Marauders may have to watch from home, but the promising young squad will surely be motivated to add their name to the marquee at next year's Final Four. And with a solid combination of youth and leadership, the Maroon women might just be the surprise of the OUA come next season.

Maggie Cogger-Orr

Silhouette Staff

 

In a rivalry that will get any McMaster student’s blood boiling, the Western Mustangs rolled into town Wednesday night, up against a Marauder team coming off two frustrating losses.

Fortunately for those fans, the Marauders were able to take out some of that frustration on the Mustangs and rolled to a 77-63 win Wednesday night at the Burridge Gym.

McMaster looked eager to get back to their winning ways, coming out with an 11-3 lead early. Western would battle back though to bring the maroon lead to three, before Hailey Milligan hit a buzzer beater to make in 19-14 McMaster at the end of the first quarter.

McMaster’s strength would lie in their ability to move the ball around the perimeter, but they at times struggled to rebound offensively under the basket. Western would capitalize on these defensive rebounds and quickly move the ball down court and drive to the basket. These quick transitions seemed to overwhelm the Marauders and saw the Mustangs take the lead 23-21.

It was then that Taylor Chiarot would take matters into her own hands, hitting four consecutive shots (a three, two field goals and a foul shot) for 8 points to swing Marauders back into the lead 29-23.

The second quarter would see both teams struggle with fouls, as offensive calls stalled the Marauders’ momentum, and Western would reach the team limit of five fouls with several minutes remaining in the half.  Both teams shot an impressive 85.7% from the free throw line, and McMaster would head into the change room up 37-33.

The second half would open with open with some good ball movement by McMaster and seem them extend their lead to ten points with five minutes left in the third quarter. The teams would trade field goals back and forth, but Western could not close the gap and Mac would finish the fourth up by 11.

The Marauders would be too much for the Mustangs to handle in the fourth, as the ladies in purple looked tired and could not keep up. This, along with the Marauders shooting 54.5 per cent from three-point range, would lead to McMaster pulling away over the course of the quarter, with leads of as much as 21 points.

McMaster had a well-balanced offensive showing on the day as Chiarot had 22 points, Milligan had a huge double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Liz Burns chipped in with 17 points of her own. For her efforts, Burns would grab Player of the Game honours for Mac.

The victory puts McMaster back over .500 with a record of 10-9, leading into the final stretch of the regular season with three games remaining. The first of those three sees them take on the Guelph Gryphons at the Mitchell Athletic Centre on Feb. 11, a team who they held off to beat 66-63 a few weeks ago.

When asked what they needed to do heading into the last few weeks of their season, Burns indicated that her team would look to build on the strengths shown in their home victory.

“We have to keep rolling with this momentum, keep on playing to our strengths:  fast breaks, getting the ball to our posts,” said Burns. “Today was a great game, our perimeter game was really strong, we had so many players

putting up points for us -- it was definitely a big team win.”

The 10 days will be make or break for the Marauders as they look finish their season off on a winning note heading into the post season.  The finish off their season with a home game against Laurier on Feb. 18.

Ben Orr

Silhouette Staff

 

The McMaster women's basketball team did last weekend what it struggled to do all year: capture positive momentum and earn a winning streak.

But despite some last-second heroics from Taylor Chiarot, it all came to a sudden halt on Wednesday night as the Brock Badgers overcame some late drama and escaped the Burridge Gym with a 73-64 win.

Chiarot scored on an inbounds pass from Hailey Milligan as time expired to force overtime, thrilling the boisterous fans in the Burridge Gym for McMaster’s ‘Pack the House’ event, but the Badgers would start the extra frame on a 10-1 run and easily cruised to victory from there.

The loss dampens the team’s momentum gained from a season-high four-game winning streak earned over the previous two weeks.

After sweeping the double header two weekends ago in Thunder Bay, the Marauders brought their strong play back home, beating the Guelph Gryphons in a tight match last Wednesday and pounding on the Warriors in Waterloo on the weekend.

Coach Theresa Burns praised her team's effort with the reserved enthusiasm only a coach possesses.

“We are playing more consistently,” she said, “have we reached the point where we feel like we're doing everything we can yet? No. I still think there's room for improvement in a lot of areas, which is OK, as long as we're getting a little better each day and we're consistently on an upswing. As long as we're getting better everyday we're going in the right direction to get ready for the playoffs.”

The Maroon and Grey returned to Burridge Gym to take on the Gryphons flying high on confidence and would not be grounded, earning a 66-63 win.

Next, the women would travel to Waterloo to take on the last place Warriors. After springing out to a 21-11 first quarter lead, the Marauders would keep their foot on the gas and cruise to a 67-48 win.

Chiarot lead the game with 14 points. Joining her in double-digit territory was Stephanie Truelove and Liz Burns, with 13 and 12, respectively.

Coach Burns spoke to the importance of her team's first substantial winning streak.

“It's a confidence builder for sure. As much as they work hard every singe night, when you're not rewarded for it with a win, and you feel like you've put all the work in and all the preparation in and you don't get that win, it can be frustrating at times. Putting a streak together gets your confidence going, you start playing a little looser and a little better and it snowballs. Hopefully we can keep it going and ride this wave into the playoffs.”

McMaster has cemented themselves into the top tier of teams in the OUA West with the four-game streak, putting significant distance between themselves and fifth place Guelph with last week's win. Burns was cautious however, stressing the importance of every game.

“Every position you can move up in the standings in important, whether it's your seedings for playoffs or your court advantage in the playoffs. The standings are still really tight. We've put a little cushion, but that can evaporate in no time. Every game you're fighting for your life.

“The standings can change in a heartbeat,” explained the coach, “you've got to approach every game like it's your last.”

Former Marauder Nicole Rosenkranz scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Badgers’ win Wednesday night. It was Rosenkranz’s first game at McMaster since transferring to Brock in the summer. The third-year forward tore her ACL in the pre-season last year after averaging nearly 20 points per game in non-conference play.

Before the loss, Burns explained the keys to the game.

“We want to have a transition game both ways, we need to run and score, we can just play half court the whole game, we have to score in transition,” said the coach. “We also need to get back in transition and not allow them easy buckets. We need the ball in the hands of our top players tonight, and they need to put lots of shots up.”

The Marauders shot just 28 per cent from the field, but benefited from 22 Badgers turnovers and 16 offensive rebounds.

Ben Orr

Silhouette Staff

 

After a tough start to 2012, the McMaster women's basketball team rebounded impressively with back-to-back wins in Thunder Bay on Jan. 20 and 21.

Lakehead is home to one of the most difficult gym's to play at in CIS basketball, but the Marauders escaped with two strong wins, taking their conference record to 7-7 for the season, good enough for a tie for fourth in the OUA West with the Thunderwolves.

The first game of the double-header saw a balanced Marauder attack overwhelm their opponents as they took an early lead and would not look back. Bringing a 42-30 lead into halftime, the Maroon and Grey stayed in top gear, closing out a 74-57 victory.

An astonishing five Marauders would hit double digits, as Taylor Chiarot (14 points), Liz Burns (13) Stephanie Truelove (11), Hailey Milligan (10) and Vanessa Bonomo (10) all hit the benchmark.

After the victory, coach Theresa Burns praised her team’s effort in the first act of their northern road trip.

“We were much more focused mentally, and I think our defensive intensity was just way higher than it has been in both the full court and half court,” said the Marauder bench boss. “I think we were making second and third efforts defensively and that made a huge difference for us.”

Act two would follow the same script, as the Marauders would dominate once again with a balanced attack, earning a 73-44 win in the Saturday night tilt. The Wolves had no answer for Chiarot, who would tally a game-high 23 points, and four Marauders hit double figures.

“I think you like to get as many people involved in scoring as you can,” explained Burns. “You're always going to have your top scorers, but I think every player has to be an offensive threat or the other team can focus and double your top scorers.”

Coach Burns spoke to the importance of capturing positive momentum, something her squad has struggled to do thus far in the season.

“I think it's huge. This is the time of year when you want to be on an upswing and heading towards a peak, just around playoff time,” said Burns. “Hopefully we can keep it going this week. The two wins moved us up in the standings considerably and we've got the tiebreaker with Lakehead now,” she said.

Mac will take on Guelph at the Burridge Gym on Jan. 25, a game that could have serious playoff implications, as the Gryphons are only two points back of the Marauders in the OUA West.

“If we can win that one, it's a four point game,” said Burns on the eve of the home contest. “We can put some distance between us and Guelph. We definitely want to keep this going.

“You need to be consistent this time of year. This will be a big test for us tonight, to see if we can play with the same kind of intensity and focus we had on the weekend.”

This is a team that has been decimated by injuries so far this season, but the Marauders did receive some good news. Rookie guard Abby Hurd practiced this week and is expected to dress soon, with limited playing time. Coach Burns welcomed the reinforcement.

“Having Abby back in the lineup will be good. She was just starting to roll when she hurt her shoulder, so hopefully be get her back on track pretty quickly.”

Sam Hunt will remain on the sidelines for a two more weeks, when her health will be reassessed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Orr

Silhouette Staff

 

The Marauders’ young season has been inconsistent to say the least.

Still, after splitting another weekend's games, the McMaster women's basketball team sits at 2-2, good for a tie for fifth place in the OUA West division. The Maroon and Grey pounced on the York Lions on Nov. 18 before tripping up against the Laurentian Voyageurs in Sudbury the following day.

The Marauders started strong in Toronto, outscoring the Lions 12-7 in the first quarter and controlling the court behind the strong play of sophomore guard Katie Knight.

York proved resilient however, clawing back to tie the game at 26 heading into halftime on the back of Hayley Flinn, who led the Lions with a game-high 14 points.

McMaster was not to be denied in the second half, though, slashing their way to 24 points in the third quarter alone. Knight would lead the Marauders by totaling 14 points and veteran Taylor Chariot continued her impressive campaign by adding 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Marauders would cruise to a dominating 66-51 win. The victory saw the team briefly rise above .500 for the first time this season, but the jubilation would be short lived, as disappointment would meet them in Sudbury.

The Maroon and Grey appeared to have cement in their sneakers during the opening quarter against the previously 0-3 Voyageurs, falling behind 17-6.

The veteran Chariot took matters into her own hands in the second quarter, leading her squad back. The Marauders would take a 26-25 lead into halftime after a spirited fight-back.

Unfortunately for the Maroon and Grey, their momentum would be short-lived, as the visitors came out flat from the locker room once again. Laurentian would outscore the Marauders 19-10 in the third quarter and would not look back.

After a strong defensive effort in the last period, the Voyageurs would claim their first win of the season at their visitors’ expense.

Chariot led McMaster with a game-high 15 points. Alyska Lukan would add nine points and six rebounds as well, but it would not be enough in the face of their opponents’ balanced attack. Three Voyageurs would reach double digits in scoring en route to the upset.

Looking to move up the OUA West ranks, the Marauder women will travel to Kingston this coming weekend to play the Queen's Gaels and RMC Paladins on Nov. 25 and 26 respectively.

Elsewhere in OUA action, Carleton completed a stunning comeback in the final ten seconds to beat the Western Mustangs 72-71. The nationally ranked Windsor Lancers fell in Ottawa to the upstart Gee-Gees and the Brock Badgers continued to roll, winning their weekends games by a combined score of 70 points.

Four OUA teams are currently ranked in the CIS Top Ten, as Windsor and Carleton are ranked third and fourth, respectively. Regina and UBC continue to lead the standings. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Cape Breton, Brock, Acadia and Toronto round out the top ten.