Saturday, February 6th 2010

By Brian Decker

The Brock Badgers are possibly the most athletic team in the OUA. However, when it comes to getting down and playing basketball, they’re not quite on the same level as the McMaster Marauders.

Mac played some scrappy defence, passed the ball well and took the young Badgers to school in an 89-69 victory Saturday afternoon. The Marauders dished out 19 assists and shot 48 per cent for the game, while forcing the Badgers into 19 turnovers.

Leading the way for McMaster was Keenan Jeppesen, who posted a triple double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Cam Michaud, who added 21 points. Michaud was playing somewhat of a home game, with Brock a short drive from his hometown of Grimsby.

“It’s definitely a home game for me. It makes it exciting, for sure. All my friends and family are here, so I get pretty pumped up,” said Michaud of playing close to home.

Head Coach Joe Raso said he made sure Michaud didn’t feel too comfortable with the friendly crowd, however, giving the 6’7” forward no star treatment for the game.

“I’m on Cam, because I know what Cam can do,” said Raso, noting that Michaud’s scoring ability is key for the Marauder offence.

Jeppesen found Michaud with a brilliant pass one minute into the fourth quarter, giving the Marauders a 70-45 lead and effectively putting the game out of reach.

The 6’7” Jeppesen was unstoppable penetrating the paint and creating offence, getting by whichever defender the Badgers threw at him. The Stoney Creek native’s triple double was the first for a Marauder since Keegan Johnson in 1995, according to Raso.

Their sixth straight win and sixth straight game of at least 80 points, the Marauders showed they are back to playing like the top-tier CIS team they were ranked as earlier in the season. Playing hard-nosed defence and making the extra pass, Mac put on a clinic for playing the kind of basketball that would make James Naismith proud.

“We’re on the same page. We had a little stretch [this season] where we were a little rough, but we’re really playing like a team now,” said Michaud.

For the Badgers, it was a frustrating test for a young team that is still learning.

“We forgot all our defensive principles. There was no help defence there at all, and I give Mac a lot of credit,” said Brock Head Coach Ken Murray.

Raso said veterans like Jeppesen, Tyrell Vernon and Matt Wilusz were key in breaking down the Badgers on both ends of the floor.

“You have to use your experience, and I thought we did… the thing about being an experienced team is that you know you’ll stick to your game plan,” said Raso.

The win moves the Marauders to 12-6 on the season, while the Badgers fall to 8-10.

Tags: basketball, Cam MIchaud, Keenan Jeppesen, men's basketball