Breakout season comes to an end

Although it was nearly four months after their first matchup, the result was the same. In the women’s basketball OUA bronze medal clash, the Ottawa Gee-Gees defeated the McMaster Marauders 71-50.

Mac was able to keep it close for the first half, with a 35-25 score after the first 20 minutes. But the third quarter would be the Marauder’s undoing, as the Gee-Gees clamped down on defence. Mac was held scoreless for the first five minutes of play.

Ottawa continued to put the ball inside, relying on an experienced frontcourt to carry the offensive workload. Danielle Boiago ended the third quarter with a ridiculous three-quarter court shot to beat the buzzer, but any momentum would soon wear off.

The Gee-Gees would continue to increase their lead through the fourth quarter. Despite having the game in hand, Ottawa was trying to solidify a wildcard spot in the CIS Final 8 tournament and wanted to use the game against Mac to show that they were worthy of a berth in the national championships.

Hailey Milligan put together a masterful performance, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Both totals were team highs. Milligan put the previous match-up in the rear view mirror and put the Gee-Gees on notice for next year’s tilt, shooting an efficient 6-8 from the floor. The All-Star finished with a double-double average of 14.2 points per game and 14.5 rebounds per game, while also shooting 51 per cent on field goals.

Danielle Boiago finished with 15 points against another physical defense. The OUA West Rookie of the Year finished her first playoff season with an impressive 19.0 points per game average, while also chipping in 4.5 rebounds per game.

Missing out on a medal is a tough pill to swallow for the young squad, but the Marauders have plenty to be proud of. Though, they were the only team to not earn a national ranking in the medal round. Carleton, Windsor and Ottawa all earned a spot in the CIS top-ten poll.

McMaster will also have the opportunity to put the exact same squad on the floor as last year, while also adding two formidable recruits to address some holes in the roster.

Next week, the Silhouette will review the season with head coach Theresa Burns, and it will preview the path going forward for the upstart bunch.