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By: Lauren Beals
In Hamilton, basketball is more than just a sport — it is a way of life. Generations of players are carefully raised through house league scrimmages to rep team triumphs, honing their skills against local players known for their discipline and grit.
For women basketball players, local Hamilton high schools St. Mary’s and St. Thomas More have won every Ontario high school basketball championship in the AAA and AAAA division, save a single year, for the past five years straight.
Here at McMaster, the woman’s basketball program has been the landing ground for these talented prospects for years, giving young stars the perfect platform to build their legacy in the steel town.
Racheal Holmes, a fourth-year player from Ancaster, is just one of the five female basketball players hailing from the Hamilton area, alongside Danielle Boiago, Hilary Hanaka, Michaela Ionni and St. Thomas More alumni Erin Burns.
A product of the Hamilton Transway rep basketball organization, Holmes originally thought she would travel for school. “Staying close to home was something I decided to do later in my career. For a long time, I thought I wanted to go far away and get out of the Hamilton bubble, but when it came down to making the decision Mac was the perfect fit.”
For Marauder second-year Erin Burns, the choice was clear from the very beginning. “I always dreamed of being a McMaster Marauder. I would spend my weekends in the Burridge Gym watching the Mac Alumni play, I always wanted to be on the Mac basketball team.”
McMaster’s strong academic reputation also played a key role in their ultimate decision, with both athletes currently enrolled in the Life Sciences program. “It’s the best of both worlds,” said Burns.
Her experience came full circle last weekend when alumni, coaches and dedicated fans filled the gym for an exciting Marauder weekend.
“Prior to our game there was a Mac alumni game,” Burns said. “When I was in elementary school I was watching these women play and saying I want to be like them, and yesterday I got to say I am one of them now. Having them in the stands makes me want to work even harder. I can be like them because they were here before, and now I am.”
Many Hamilton alumni have done more than cheer from the bleachers, inspiring these young athletes to reach their greatest potential. “It is one of the biggest drivers” said Holmes.
“You obviously want to be successful for yourself and for your teammates, but to always have your family there backing you up and to know how much effort they have put into what you are doing, it’s really special to have them there. It makes you want to be the best for them.”
The call to Maroon has proven successful for both athletes, as they enjoy McMaster’s 8-3 record against Ontario competition and current position atop the central division. Holmes has been a stronghold for the Marauders this season, starting in ten games with an impressive 22 steals. Burns has also shows promise for a strong collegiate career.
But in Hamilton, basketball does not end with a player’s time on the university stage. Some athletes go on to play for Canada at the national level or professionally in Europe. Many others coach in local schools, volunteer with youth development leagues or lead their own rep teams to greatness, a trend we can expect to continue with Holmes.
“I think I would love to be a coach when I get out of university,” said Holmes. “I definitely see myself being immersed in the basketball community, and hopefully helping to foster the community that I was so fortunate to grow up in.”
Coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Western Mustangs, both athletes are confident for the coming months. “We aren’t going to let up,” said Burns. “There will a lot of blood, sweat and tears on the court, in practice and in games,” Holmes added. “We are a passionate team and a hard-working team. You can expect some big games and some tough competition.”
The team looks to bounce back from the loss suffered last weekend as they head to Thunder Bay for two games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
Photo Credit: Alistar Boulby
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It has been a busy month for the McMaster Men’s Basketball team.
At the end of December, the team took part in a training camp at the University of Chicago. They got a chance to use the facilities and work on their skills in a new environment. They had the opportunity to walk the streets of the Windy city as tourists and went to a Raptors-Bulls game while they were there.
“It’s always good to go away with the team for bonding,” said Aaron Redpath, fifth-year guard.
Of course, the trip was more for business than anything else.
Basketball great Michael Jordan once said, “some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
This team is making it happen, and has started off 2016 with three dominating wins. Last week, the team went to Waterloo and three days later played at the neighbouring university, Laurier.
“I feel like we are now seeing the type of basketball we want to play which is a fast, up-tempo style,” said Redpath.
Wednesday night’s game against the Waterloo Warriors ended in a 93-66 win for the Marauders. Six McMaster players scored in the double figures, with guard Leon Alexander leading the way for the team with 17 points.
A similar narrative was witnessed days later as Saturday afternoon’s game favoured the Marauders with a 105-81 win.
Though there was solid performance from a number of players on the team, the player of the night was second-year forward Connor Gilmore. He scored a career high of 32 points and made eight out of 10 attempted three pointers. His performance led him to be the Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
Being with the basketball program for five years, Redpath knows the importance of keeping a clear focus as that is what this team needs to compete with the best and contest for a national championship.
“When we play with high energy, we’re very good. But when we get lackadaisical and we get into a slump that’s when things can turn negative,” said Redpath.
Playing lazy can cost this team a shot at a banner and they know that. The effort they put offensively must be matched defensively for them to get the results they work so hard in the gym to see.
The biggest game of the year so far is the one that was played last night, when the Windsor Lancers took the three-hour drive on the 401 to visit the Burridge Gym.
As a memory refresher, the Lancers is the team that spoiled the Marauders’ playoff dreams last year when they took a 85-70 OUA quarter-final win over McMaster to advance.
For the players on the team, they don’t need to be reminded as this is a game they have been preparing for.
“Windsor is a huge game. It’s one of the ones I circle on the calendar,” said Redpath.
The Marauders want to avenge the loss they so badly felt last season and are ready for the competition.
“We all know what we are capable of and we all know our potential so as long as we stay focused and play with high energy and really lock down on the defensive end, scoring won’t be a problem,” said Redpath.
Scoring wasn’t a problem as the team got their revenge on the Lancers with a comfortable 106-74 defeat. The Marauders are on a seven-game winning streak.
With playoff seeding decided by the next few games of the regular season, defense will be indicative of how far this team goes.
Catch Marauder home action on Saturday, Jan. 23 as the Marauders face the Western Mustangs. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at Burridge Gym.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
Some games mean more to teams than others. Some wins are sweeter. Some losses cut deeper.
For the McMaster Women’s Basketball team, there are some games that are always highlighted in the game calendar, match-ups that the group looks forward to and ones that always pose a physical challenge.
Last night, amidst a busy day of events on campus, a familiar competitor came through the doors of the David Braley Athletic Centre. Walking through the hallways and into the guest locker room were the Windsor Lancers, a women’s basketball team that has won the CIS National championship for the last 5 years.
“Anytime we play Windsor, you know it’s going to be a good game,” said Anne Marie Thuss, interim Head Coach of the Marauders team.
The Marauders know the level of talent the Lancers possess and they welcomed the challenge with open arms.
A good game is an understatement for the 40 minutes of high-energy that was witnessed from the bleachers. The team was alive and the bench was awake; counting down the shot clock as every possession evoked a reaction from the team.
The first quarter of play saw the Marauders holding the Lancers to a 20-19 lead.
The second quarter saw some sloppy play as the Marauders were cold for shooting for the first four minutes, as the first shot came from fourth-year forward Clare Kenney at the line when she made one of two foul shots.
McMaster called a time out to regroup after a troubling few minutes of the second quarter.
The gears were slowly put back in motion, but the Marauders could not find a quick solution to the Lancers’ long range shooting.
The second quarter was a low scoring one. Marauders only scored eight in the second quarter, while the Lancers scored 14.
The intensity was turned up as McMaster scored 18 in the third quarter and kept the Lancers at only nine points.
The last ten minutes of the fourth quarter was one filled with grit and McMaster knew that they had to seal the game with a win.
After a very important final quarter, McMaster was able to close out the game with a 68-62 win over the Windsor Lancers.
“Coming into the game, we knew we had to bring a level of focus. Everybody came out knowing their role,” said Manning.
“This was a really gutsy win because we were down in the first half. We took a step in knowing how to win. That was a positive for us,” said Thuss.
“Anytime we play Windsor, you know it’s going to be a good game.”
The top contributor on the score sheet came from fourth-year guard Danielle Boiago with 24 points. It was also a great night for guard Siobhan Manning as she was able to claim 18 points of her own.
“It was a really big game for us to maintain composure in a close game. As a team, it’s important to win in close games like this. We played the same intensity no matter the score,” said Manning.
McMaster will look to win their sixth straight game as they defend home court against the Western Mustangs on Saturday, Jan. 23. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Burridge Gym.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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Some of us like to catch up on sleep over the winter break. Others like to do everything they possibly can before the hectic schedule rolls around again in the new year. For the 16 woman roster of the McMaster Women’s Basketball team, the break was a little different.
Just two days after Christmas, the group took a trip to Quebec City to take part in the Laval Invitational Tournament.
“We had quite the training during exams knowing the opponents we had scheduled for the Laval tournament were three top 10 teams. So, going into that we were preparing for a high level of competition,” said Anne Marie Thuss, interim head coach.
In the four days spent in Quebec City, the team had a busy schedule of three games in three days. They were there strictly for business.
Despite the high level of play, the schedule allowed a lot of time for recovery. The teams had shoots in the morning, watched video and had meetings. Games took place in the afternoon so there was time for a solid meal and enough rest at night.
The first day of competition was a match up between the McMaster Marauders and the McGill Martlets.
The Marauders, currently placed seventh in the country fought ‘til the end with the country’s third best.
McMaster started the first game of the tournament strongly, but both teams remained neck-and-neck for most of the three quarters. The team’s efforts ultimately did not end in a win as McGill was able the take the game 65-55.
Captain Danielle Boiago finished with sixteen points and was the lead scorer for the squad.
McMaster’s second game was against Laval, who currently hold the sixth spot in the country’s top 10 rank. McMaster held an 11-point lead until the final quarter of the game. It was a difficult fourth quarter and Laval won the game at the buzzer with a layup and a final score of 69-68.
Once again, Boiago led the score sheet with 17 points and five assists, while guard Hilary Hanaka scored 14 points of her own.
The last game of the tournament was against another competitor in the OUA, the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
McMaster could have come back to Hamilton with one win under their belt as they held a 21-point lead at the half.
The second half wasn’t as easy for the Marauders as they scored only three points in the third quarter. Ottawa knocked down a buzzer-beating bucket that sealed the fate taking a 63-61 victory.
Siobhan Manning led the Marauders with 13 points and Andrea Polischuk added nine boards.
The last two games did not see a healthy roster play due to some injuries.
“We had a few injuries so when we had the injuries, the last two teams took advantage of our small size.”
With the team back and healthy, the losses hold learning lessons for the group as they are bouncing back from the holiday losses.
“I think the biggest thing we got out of it is that we are capable of it. We are capable of being up on these teams and learning the next step is to just keep pushing,” said Thuss.
The team continues to believe in the process and started 2016 on a positive note as they defeated the Waterloo Warriors 86-40 on Wednesday night.
The Marauders hope to continue their winning streak as they face the Laurier Goldenhawks on Saturday.
The first home game of the year happens on Wed, Jan. 20, as the Marauders welcome the Windsor Lancers to Burridge. The Lancers have been the CIS Women’s Basketball champions for the last five years.
“It wasn’t the best way to finish 2015, but those were very valuable games because we have our end goal in mind. The process is what we are focusing on. That’s the biggest part and going forward, we’ll be better each game. We’re looking to be one percent better each time,” said Thuss.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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McMaster scored no less than 24 in a quarter and used strong second and third quarters to secure a convincing 22-point victory over the Guelph Gryphons.
McMaster has preached that their goal is to score 24 or more per quarter while limiting their opponents to 17 or less. In terms of this metric, they reached their offensive standards in all quarters scoring 24, 25, 24 and 26 respectively. Defensively they succeeded by this measurement in the second and third quarters allowing 11 and 17 points respectively, while conceding 24 and 25 in the first and fourth quarters.
Assistant Coach Seth Wearing knows there are areas to brush up on.
“We had our moments, but we still need to be better defensively,” said Wearing. “This was the third game in a row where we’ve allowed teams to have big first and fourth quarters. We need to eliminate those bookends.”
McMaster forced 14 turnovers and capitalized scoring 23 points off those turnovers. The Marauders also got some easy scores scoring 20 fastbreak points. This team thrives when they get out in transition as it usually leads to a dunk, layup or trip to the free throw line.
“Turnovers can lead to easy scores. It’s hard enough to score in this league, so creating offense from our defense is critical to our success,” Wearing said.
Offensively, the Marauders shot 51.6 percent from the field, just under 30 percent from three, and a respectable 77.1 percent from the free throw line. Leon Alexander had 20 or more for the third time this year, Rohan Boney dropped 18, Troy Joseph added 16 and Aaron Redpath finished with ten of his own. Second-year forward Connor Gilmore scored 14 in his return from injury. This was Gilmore’s first full game of the season since he got injured right at tip-off against Brock on Nov. 4.
The offensive distribution was on point.
“Balanced scoring has been a hallmark of this team. We’re hard to prepare for because of it,” said Wearing. “When we share the ball we’re really good.”
McMaster heads into the holidays at 5-2 and on a four-game winning streak. Each of their last four victories has been by an average margin of 18.5 points. Their only two losses are to opponents nationally ranked higher than them.
“5-2 isn’t where we wanted to be but it’s where we are. Right now we’re getting better everyday and our four-game winning streak is indicative of that,” Wearing said. “We’re getting healthy and looking forward to the back half of the season. The group is excited about our opportunity.”
Similar to the other varsity teams on campus, the team will scale down from their normal regimen but the grind will still continue as exam season looms over the horizon.
“The guys stay here until exams are done. We gear down a little bit but we’ll continue to train,” said Wearing. “As student-athletes school will always be the focal point. After that they’ll go home for a few days to spend some well-deserved time with their families, but then we get back to work.”
Catch Marauders Basketball back in action on Jan. 13 when they travel to face the Waterloo Warriors. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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In an 81-58 defeat over the Guelph Gryphons, the McMaster Women’s Basketball team has closed the first half of the regular season and will have some time away from the court before returning to play in January 2016.
McMaster welcomed Guelph, a division rival, to Burridge Gym for the last game at home before the holidays.
Saturday afternoon’s game between the two OUA Central division teams was one that slowly fell in favour of the McMaster Marauders.
McMaster led the Gryphons 24-15 after the end of the first period. Every period after that until the last buzzer played out was McMaster’s game.
McMaster was able to carry a 41-30 advantage into half time.
The third quarter opened with an 8-0 run and pushed the lead to 19 points.
The lead for the Maroon and Grey kept growing and the Marauders were allowed to close out the win at home.
McMaster’s top contributor was second-year guard Hilary Hanaka, who added 19 points on the board off the bench. Following closely after in points made was forward Clare Kenney with her best game of the year with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Danielle Boiago also claimed her own double double with 15 points and 10 boards.
The starting five and bench players were able to produce to come out with a great victory win over the Gryphons.
McMaster was able to score 36 points in the paint, while Guelph only had 18. The Marauders also capitalized on turnovers with 27 points and the Gryphons only answered with 16. While bench points have been relatively quieter for the team this season, McMaster’s bench was able to add 26 points for the final score sheet.
These kinds of numbers are great for a team that continues to see improvement.
The win moves McMaster to a record of 5-2, tying them with Guelph in the division. This win has also moved the team to the No. 5 position in the country after coming sixth in last week’s CIS Top Ten ranking.
McMaster is the second ranked team in Ontario in the country’s Top Ten list. Ryerson, currently claiming the No. 3 spot, has already played the Marauders. That game ended in a 64-74 loss to the Rams.
While ranking is telling of talent and calibre, the Marauders can not rule out the other teams in the province, considering they will have to go through them to reach their final destination at the OUA playoffs.
The young team has their eyes set on making it far this year and going into the holidays with a two-win streak is not a bad start.
The team will continue to train and prepare themselves for the twelve games left in the regular season.
The team hopes to cross off the games played in the 2016 calendar with more wins.
While that is weeks away, the winning mindset will be there in practice.
The holidays will be time spent for family, but training will still go on.
The time off away from competitive play will not mean time off from basketball.
The holiday recess for these student-athletes will be time for the players to polish their play and get ready for the second half of the season, where wins will matter more than ever before.
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The beginning of the season started out with a heavyweight OUA tilt between the No. 4 Brock Badgers and the No. 8 McMaster Marauders. Right off the jump ball, McMaster had a chance to make a statement win at home and upset one of the top teams in the country. The team led for a good portion of the game, but couldn’t pull the upset off. A few weeks ago, McMaster hosted No. 5 Ryerson and put up a solid fight despite being short-handed due to injuries. They came within five in the fourth quarter, but went cold as the Rams handed the Marauders their second loss of the season.
McMaster is entering their last weekend of 2015 with a 4-2 record and a three-game winning streak. Last weekend they beat Queen’s, 84-71 and beat York, 88-74. Their only two losses (three, if you count the preseason loss to McGill), as Head Coach Amos Connolly points out, have come at the hands of conference opponents ranked higher than them.
Is that an excuse for not pulling the upsets? No.
It’s just something to take note of especially since McMaster was in prime position to grab the win in each of those games. McMaster has shown fight against top-tier competition, and with a banged up roster.
“In every one of those losses our opponents highlighted a weakness of ours. McGill hurt us on the boards and shot the three really well. Brock turned up the pressure in the second half and we struggled with the press,” said Connolly. “Ryerson blocked our down ball screen in a way that we hadn’t seen at that intensity. Each loss opens your eyes up to a different thing.”
Since the Brock loss on Nov. 4, McMaster has outrebounded four of their past five opponents by a margin of 155 to 131. After allowing McGill to shoot 35.3 percent from three, Mac has held their last six opponents to an average of 28.5 percent from deep, with the lowest being 22.2 percent (Toronto) and the highest being 34.4 (Ryerson).
Part of learning from these losses is how McMaster players prepare for games studying scouting reports. The coaches give players information regarding opponents’ strategies and tendencies so that players can prepare and respond accordingly.
“One of the things that was really critical was getting a better understanding of what the guys’ needs were for scouting reports. It was about figuring out what type of information they wanted to see. What we thought was enough for them, wasn’t,” said Connolly. “Now we’re in a place where we’re pretty clear on our end on what they need and we’re giving them the information they want. It really helps them in their game prep. There’s always this risk that you’re going to give them too much to study, but this group loves a lot of information.”
More game prep information has helped McMaster respond and adjust to what they’ve learned from their losses. Homework for student-athletes doesn’t just involve course material — they also study their opponents from what dribble moves they like using against different defenses to where they like to shoot on the floor.
“I think what we’ve done a great job on is learning from the losses. I think this is what this team does in general over the years. We’re good at not overreacting to wins and taking lessons from losses and going forward with them. I really like this group,” said Connolly. “I like their commitment to success, their commitment to each other, and their willingness to bring issues forward. I’m really happy with what I’m seeing from them right now.”
McMaster will host Guelph this weekend in hopes of ending 2015 on a winning note. Tip-off is at 3 p.m on Saturday, Nov. 28. This will be their last game until Jan. 13, 2016 when they head to Waterloo to start their second half of the season.
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The 2015-16 season had a strong start for the McMaster Women’s Basketball team. A perfect pre-season and a No. 1 spot in the country was something novel to a young team that has had to fight for a seat amongst strong contenders.
With a current ranking of sixth in the country’s top ten list, there is still a lot of time in the season to get back to the top spot.
This past weekend is a telling sign of the team’s continuous learning process.
The team went on the road to play Queen’s and York. They came back home with a win and a loss.
Friday’s game had the Marauders getting back on the bus with a 53-60 loss to the Queen’s Gaels. It was a low scoring game for the Marauders, something that fans are not used to seeing. McMaster’s leading scorer was guard Danielle Boiago, who added 13 points on the board. Shooting the ball did not go well that night for the Marauders as they only made 30 percent of their shots from the floor.
“We look at numbers because stats don’t lie. For the team, everybody’s numbers have to be better. We look at it to see what else we need to work on,” said interim Head Coach Anne Marie Thuss.
After Saturday’s win at York, there is no doubt that the team is constantly learning from their losses and their mistakes.
There was no time for repeating the same mistakes as the Marauders played back-to-back games this past weekend. Friday’s loss to Queen’s prepared the team very well for the dominating win at York’s home court the following day.
The performance was greater for McMaster as they ruled over York and came out with a 86-45 win on Saturday evening. The end of the first quarter saw the Marauders hold a 30-point lead over the York Lions as the score after the first quarter was 32-2. It was McMaster’s game right from the jump ball.
Boiago put up 24 points, the leading scorer of the weekend.
The team improved their field goal percentage to 47.
“This team scores in a multitude of ways. It’s not just being fast in transition, it’s not just one player hitting shots. They all contribute and they all will contribute even more as the season goes on. They are very unselfish players and let the offense run through and then you’ll see fantastic and entertaining plays,” said Thuss.
The Guelph Gryphons will visit Burridge Gym on Sat. Nov. 28 as the Marauders will look to hold a two-game winning streak before the student athletes go on their holiday break away from regular season play.
This break will give the players some mental time to prepare for the second half of the season, and to continue to improve their game play in their pursuit of an OUA banner.
The team will have over a month away from games until they return for basketball action on Jan. 13, 2016 when they head to Waterloo.
Photo Credit: Tina Chatterjee
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Great teams are able to turn any loss into a lesson.
Though a disappointing 74-64 loss against the Ryerson Rams last Wednesday night ruined the McMaster Women’s Basketball team’s perfect record, the Marauders were able to get back into a winning mindset this past weekend when they welcomed the Toronto Blues to Burridge Gym.
With a gym full of fans, the Marauders headed back into their locker rooms with an 87-79 win against the Toronto Blues.
When both teams first met this pre-season, the Marauders took that win by over 30 points.
This game was a tougher competition between the Marauders and the Blues.
At the end of the first quarter, both teams were tied at 22 points. The game slowly changed in favour of McMaster as the halftime score was 48-40.
In the final quarter of play, second-year guard Linnaea Harper helped strengthen McMaster’s offense. The second-year forward led the team with 24 points and ten rebounds. Because of her great performance, Harper was named a Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
Another noticeable mention goes to second-year guard Hilary Hanaka, as she scored 15 points and is continuing to find her rhythm after time off the court due to an injury.
Danielle Boiago and Rachael Holmes were also able to put points on the board, adding 19 and 15 respectively.
While the team walked out of that game with a win, only 19 of the team’s 87 points came from the bench. As the season goes on, fans can hope to see more opportunities for bench players to produce and that is crucial for the team’s development and success. The season will only get more competitive for a team fighting for an OUA banner.
Currently ranked fourth in the nation, the talent of this young team can definitely take them back to the number one spot they held just weeks ago.
With the team holding a record of three wins and one loss, it aims to continue its winning streak on the road as McMaster plays Queen’s and York this weekend.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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After losing to Ryerson a few days before, the McMaster Marauders came out on Saturday, Nov. 14, bent on making sure the outcome was different against Toronto.
The Marauders built a healthy 26-13 lead in the first quarter and never allowed Toronto to score more than 18 points in a quarter. Mac won 89-64 and lifted their overall record back to .500 at 2-2.
McMaster forced Toronto into 24 turnovers and scored 28 points off of them, also pulling in an impressive 19 steals, 13 of which came courtesy of guards Aaron Redpath (three), and Trevon McNeil and David McCulloch who contributed five apiece. The need for tough defense to force turnovers and lead to points is exactly what Marauder Assistant Coach Seth Wearing called for last week.
“We need to use our length and our athleticism,” said Wearing. “We need to turn people over and get easy scores. It has to start with our defense and our ability to turn people over.”
Toronto’s 18-point third quarter was the only blemish against the McMaster coaching staff’s benchmark of 17-point defensive quarters. The only game in which McMaster has held a team to 17 or fewer points in each quarter for the whole game was at Algoma on Nov. 7.
“We want to be able to hold our opponents to under 17 every quarter,” said Wearing. “Our goal is to limit teams to 17-point quarters and we want to score 24 or more each quarter. If that works out we should win by 30 and dictate the whole time.”
McMaster beat Toronto by 25 and mostly satisfied Wearing’s offensive and defensive benchmark. If McMaster does meet those standards, they definitely should be dictating the games they play.
On the glass, forward Troy Joseph grabbed a monstrous 16 boards (five offensive, 11 defensive) to go with his 13 points, completing his first double-double of the season. Joseph’s strong rebounding accounted for a striking 35 per cent of McMaster’s total output of 47 rebounds. Of those 47, 19 rebounds came on the offensive glass, which gave McMaster extra possessions. McMaster took advantage of those extra possessions and turned them into 18 second-chance points.
Fourth-year swingman Leon Alexander had his best scoring performance of the young season, dropping 26 points on a stellar 11-for-18 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes of play.Fourth-year guard Lazar Kojovic came off the bench and had an incredibly efficient game scoring 14 points in 14 minutes on 5-7 shooting (4-5 from three-point range).
The CIS No. 9-ranked McMaster hits the road this weekend with a Nov. 20 matchup at Queen’s and a Nov. 21 date at York. Both games tip off at 8 p.m.
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