McMaster women's basketball team off to a hot start

William Lou

The Silhouette

The McMaster Women’s Basketball team is off to a hot start to the season with a pair of victories in last week’s matchups versus the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Ryerson Rams.

The Marauders dominated both sides of the ball in last Friday’s win over the Varsity Blues. The Blues fought hard early, jumping out to an 8-7 lead at one point, but McMaster turned the game into a blowout with an 11-0 run to end the first. Mac stretched their lead to 35-19 by the half and the game ended with a final score of 70-35 in favor of the Marauders.

On cheapest line viagra offense, the inside-out tandem of Hailey Milligan and Danielle Boiago combined for 34 points and 20 rebounds while point guard Vanessa Bonomo chipped in with 8 assists. The overall team defense was extremely solid as they held the Varsity Blues to 26% shooting from the field, while also forcing a whopping 24 turnovers.

On the following night, McMaster played host to the Ryerson Rams. Coming off a deflating 38-point loss against the No. 7 ranked Brock Badgers, the Rams looked for redemption against the Marauders, but it was not to be. Led once again by Milligan and Boiago, McMaster earned a hard-fought 66-42 victory over the Rams.

The Marauders struggled to start the game as the Rams surged out to a 15-11 lead after the first, but Mac’s tenacious defense carried them the rest of the way, limiting Ryerson to 27 points scored over their last three quarters. McMaster forced the Rams into committing 36 turnovers and they outrebounded their opponent by 24 to ensnare their second victory.

Through two games, McMaster’s strength has clearly been its superb defense. By forcing their opponents into taking tough shots and creating turnovers, the Marauders have only allowed 38.5 points scored per game which is the lowest total in the OUA.

Offensively, they have been carried by shooting guard Boiago and power forward Milligan. Boiago’s scoring from the wing notably with her three-point shooting (43%) has opened up the floor for teammate Hailey Milligan, who is routinely facing double and even triple-teams. The dynamic duo is averaging a combined 35.5 points per game.

McMaster will travel to Sudbury, Ont. on Nov. 9 to take on the Laurentian Voyageurs who are 1-1 on the season. The following night, Mac will take on the newest member of the OUA – the Algoma Thunderbirds. The Sault Ste. Marie squad is 0-2.