Marauders let win streak slip

The 13-game winning streak has come to an end.

It was a good ride, but the Windsor Lancers put an end to the longest winning streak in seven years in a wire-to-wire game on Feb. 8. McMaster’s offence struggled to find a rhythm throughout the game, and part of that can be attributed to the cavernous St. Denis Centre.

It is a notoriously difficult gym to play in because of the tall curtains that fall behind the nets.

A shooter’s depth perception is skewed and the coaches concerns were legitimized after the Marauders put up 15 points in the first quarter.

The teams would exchange runs, but Windsor kept McMaster.

With the loss, Mac only holds a one-game advantage over the Lancers. It’s unlikely the Marauders will lose to the lowly Waterloo Warriors, who sit at second last in the OUA with four wins and 16 losses.

It was an entertaining tilt, but not one with many real takeaways. Enrico Diloreto had an efficient game: 8-16 shooting for 26 points, along with 8-10 on free throws. Lien Phillip was a monster, exploding for 20 points, 17 rebounds (with seven on the offensive glass), and only two fouls in 35 minutes.

Phillip’s numbers weren’t surprising, but Diloreto’s efficiency is.

If Mac sees Windsor again at the Final Four, it’s unlikely that the guard could pull off another game like that.

Mac struggled from distance, shooting 7-22 from behind the arc.

A lot of those looks were open ones, but those woes can be attributed to the venue.

Taylor Black had his most disappointing game of the season, registering six points in 33 minutes of play.

His partner in the paint, Nathan McCarthy, could not find a rhythm on offence either.

McCarthy shot 3-5 and split a pair of free throw attempts to finish with seven points.

It was the frontcourt’s lowest scoring game of the season.

The Marauders had an opportunity to steal the game, coming within three points with 13 seconds left in the game.

A turnover from Leon Alexander sealed the game, but the comeback effort was impressive nonetheless.

Those looking for this game to be an indictment of who is the top of the OUA West crop should look ahead to a potential Final Four match-up instead of putting a ton of stock into the recent game.

The two games were close, and a Wilson Cup battle will be on neutral ground.

The CIS top-ten voting committee disagreed with that, and the Lancers vaulted the Marauders in the poll this week.

The Maroon and Grey need to just ride out the season and finish with a win over the Warriors to capture first place and a bye through the first round.

Their opponent will not be determined until the first round is over, where they will face the lowest remaining seed.