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Mac stands tall against NCAA teams

Thursday, November 5th 2009

As if beating up on their CIS opponents this preseason wasn’t enough, the McMaster men’s basketball team took their new and improved game to the Big Apple to play a pair of NCAA opponents, continuing to show they are ready to be one of the best teams Canadian hoops has to offer.

The Marauders split a pair of scrimmages against Army and defeated Wagner College 71-61 on a stateside trip, concluding their preseason and proving they are ready for the 2009-2010 conference season. Keenan Jeppesen (Stoney Creek, ON) once again paced the Marauders, scoring 31 points against Wagner and leading McMaster’s defensive attack.

The first stop on the trip saw Mac take on Army, based out of West Point Military Academy just north of New York City. Army plays in the Patriot League, an NCAA Division 1 conference in the northeast United States. The teams played two one-half scrimmages, with Army taking the first 32-27, while the second scrimmage saw the Marauders come back and take a 32-27 victory of their own.

A trip to the City that Never Sleeps was next up for McMaster, who traveled to Staten Island for a game against the Wagner Seahawks, a Division 1 team in the Northeast Conference. Jeppesen’s 31 points came in handy as the Marauders stopped a second half comeback by the Seahawks to pull away for the win.

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Guard Jermaine DeCosta (Hamilton, ON) and centre Ryan Christie (Hamilton, ON) went to the bench early in the game after picking up two quick fouls each, but the situation merely gave the Marauders a chance to show off their considerable depth. Rookie guard Victor Raso (Hamilton, ON) filled it to control the offence, and forward Cam Michaud (Grimsby, ON) helped control the glass, grabbing seven rebounds.

Wagner made a run in the fourth quarter to cut the Marauder lead to five, but the maroon and grey turned to Jeppesen to close the deal. The 6’7” forward made two key jump shots to pad the lead and give McMaster the win. Second year guard Scott Laws (Gormley, ON) scored all 12 of his points in the second half, continuing to show his presence this season as a viable scoring option on the wing.

Playing against a quick, scrappy Wagner squad, the Marauder successfully used a small lineup to adapt to the Seahawks’ defence and work their halfcourt sets. Christie was the only true post player to play for the Marauders, with forwards Jeppesen, Michaud and Matt Wilusz (Stoney Creek, ON) filling in to patrol the paint.

McMaster will tip off their regular season this Friday against Royal Military College and Saturday against the Queen’s Gaels. The Marauders, ranked fourth in the nation in the season’s first rankings, will play their home opener Nov. 13 against the Toronto Varsity Blues at Burridge Gymnasium.