Overtime drama ends with win
Ben Orr
Silhouette Staff
The 2011-12 season didn’t start easily for the McMaster Marauders, with arguably the two toughest opponents of the first semester crossover schedule heading to the Burridge Gym to take on the Marauders on Nov. 11 and 12.
But if the weekend was a sign of things to come, it looks like the Marauders will be able to handle whatever their OUA East opponents throw their way. The Marauders split a weekend set with the No. 3 Carleton Ravens and the Ottawa Gee-gees, losing to the Ravens 81-69 but topping the Gee-gees 66-64 in overtime.
Travelling to Hamilton first were the Carleton Ravens, who came into the game ranked third in the CIS top-ten.
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Marauders would lead 18-17 on the heels of a Taylor Chariot three-pointer. The see-saw battle would continue into the second, as the Maroon and Grey would flirt with the lead right up to the half, eventually tying the game at 36. However, the Ravens’ shooters would reclaim the advantage, sinking a trey just before the half, taking a three-point lead into the break.
McMaster would have a more difficult time keeping up with Carleton in the second half. Led by Alyson Bush, who would score 22 points, the Ravens expanded their lead by controlling the lane, scoring in the paint seemingly at will. They would take a six-point lead into the final quarter.
The Marauders would get to the line in the fourth and climb within three, but were unable to complete the comeback, falling 81-69. Chariot led her team with a double double in the form of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Alyksa Lukan added 11 points and six assists and Jackie Nimec would go three for four from beyond the arc, adding a team-high 12 points of her own.
The second game of the weekend double-header would also be an Ottawa-Hamilton affair, as the ninth ranked Gee-gees came to town.
The Marauders would escape a sloppy first quarter with a 18-15, as both teams struggled shooting the ball. Lukan would convert from the three point line mid-way through the second, giving Mac a commanding 26-19 lead. Still, Ottawa would claw back towards the end of the period, scoring two quick baskets to go into the half down by a mere three points.
The Marauder women would relinquish their lead in the third quarter thanks to a three-point play from star Gee-gee forward Hannah Sunley-Paisley. Not to be outdone, McMaster's Isabel Ormond would sink a three late in the third, tying the game at 48.
The chess game would continue into the fourth, as neither team seemed able to pull away from the other. The teams would battle to a 63-63 stalemate, the Marauders riding the strong play of Chariot and Nimec.
In overtime, Lukan would take over, scoring the go-ahead basket and converting on a free throw to put the nail in the Gee-gees’ coffin. The Marauders would escape the evening with a 66-64 win, and would escape the weekend with a 1-1 OUA record.
The Marauders will continue conference play this weekend, going on the road to take on the York Lions and the Laurentian Voyageurs.
Tyler Hayward
