It's basketball season!

It is easy to be an underdog. With no expectations teams can play with nothing to lose, taking risks and leaving it all on the court. But staying on top? That’s a lot harder. Just ask this year’s McMaster woman’s basketball team.

Kicking off the 2016/2017 season after last year’s OUA final four appearances and missing only two graduated players from last year’s lineup, expectations are high that this year’s women’s team will make another deep run at national glory.

So far the Mac women have exceeded the hype, repeating as champions of the highly competitive Darcel Wright Memorial Tournament with consecutive wins over Cape Breton, Windsor and Ryerson.

“That tournament was a good test for us to see how we stack up against some of the top teams in the country,” said head coach Theresa Burns. “That is why we go to the tournament every year… it was a good confidence boost.”

Key to their success was veteran guard and McMaster go-to Danielle Boiago, who scored 49 points with 15 assists through three games to be named tournament MVP, despite heavy coverage from opposing teams.

“They face guard her, they double team her, they triple team her, and we try to prepare for it,” said Burns. “She has learned how to play out of that a little bit more, and the rest of team has learned how to play out of that a little more too… she doesn’t necessarily have to be our scorer every night, we have a lot more depth now.”

Stellar performances from third-year tournament all-star Hilary Hanaka, and the rebounding prowess of Clare Kenney, propelled the team’s rank within the national University Sports top ten to third overall behind Regina and Carleton, while jumping fellow OUA programs in Windsor (sixth) and Ryerson (seventh).

A dominant 89-52 win over the University of Toronto at home later in the week solidified the team’s reputation as a force to be reckoned with. While it is certainly early, every indicator suggests the Marauders have the talent, depth, and experience to challenge any competitor in the coming months, a testament their head coach supports.

“We have the ability to score in so many ways, and we have the ability to defend so hard. We have a good mix of experience and smarts… it just feels like we have all the boxes ticked,” said Burns. “If we can stay healthy through the year, we can play with anybody and beat anybody in the country this year.”

Players to watch

Danielle Boiago

McMaster’s leading scorer was named a CIS first-team All-Canadian last year, the first Marauder to do so since Lindsay DeGroot in 2008. With 1,357 total OUA points in her career, she also tops all Marauders in scoring, while racking up and average of 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. This year, expect her to continue driving the Marauder offense while controlling the ball at both ends of the floor.

“She doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone,” said Burns. “She has established herself as one of the greatest player ever to play at McMaster for sure… it’s just [a matter of] going out and doing what you are capable of doing every day.”

Hilary Hanaka

Hanaka has had a strong start to the season, putting up 21 points against league rivals Windsor at the Memorial Classic. Expect Hanaka to step into a greater leadership role, directing traffic and not hesitating to knockdown available shot opportunities.

“She has really found her groove,” said Burns.  “She has such a high basketball IQ… we need her veteran leadership and we need her to be confident enough to let her IQ shine and make everyone else around her better.”

Clare Kenney 

Kenney finished fifth in the OUA in rebounds per game (9.3) and total blocks (18) last year and was second in field goal percentage (52.5 percent). The Marauders second-leading scorer was also named to the OUA All-star game and came down with 11 boards against Toronto. This year, look for Kenney to step outside the key and open scoring with more shots on the perimeter. On the defensive end, watch for Kenney to spend more time away from her check, keeping protecting the basket with better help side defense.

“I am so proud of Clare,” said Burns. “She came in as a relatively unknown player, didn’t play [Junior Girls Elite League] just played [Ontario Basketball Association] ball and has made herself into a dominant [U Sports] player.”

X-Factor: Vanessa Pickard 

Sharpshooter Vanessa Pickard went down to injury last season but could be back to help the Marauders later this year. A natural offensive threat and key veteran leader, her presence could help elevate Mac over dense OUA competition, although returning to game form is always a difficult task.

“We don’t want to rush her,” said Burns. “When and if her body is ready to get back out there she’ll get back out there, in the meantime she has been a great teammate and provided leadership off the court, so it’s just a day by day thing.”

OUA competition

Windsor

Despite an early loss to Mac, Windsor has won six of the last eight OUA championships and boast a 95 per cent player return rate from last year. Expect their disciplined presence to pose a major threat when they meet again in the new year.

Ryerson

The defending OUA champions and U Sports silver medalists have lost U Sports player of the year Keneca-Pinque-Giles, but the return of 6’4 OUA All-star Sofia Paska will challenge the Marauders down low.

Queen’s

The Gaels will look to make the OUA playoff for their 20th consecutive season, the balance of rookie talent and veteran leadership will look the challenge McMaster’s depth.

Carleton 

Currently ranked second in the national U Sports top ten, Carleton boasts a deep back court with first-team OUA all star Heather Lindsay and Second-team OUA all star Elizabeth Leblanc leading the charge. Ottawa Gee-gees transfer Catherine Traer and local Mohawk transfer Jenjen Abella will add scoring and speed to an already veteran lineup.