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The Women’s Volleyball team has been working to put more pressure on their opponents; last week, they got a taste of their own medicine.
McMaster faced an early two-set deficit at Windsor. Their backs were up against the wall seemingly as soon as they got on the court and they had to respond quickly or go down quietly.
The Marauders looked tired and out of sync. They weren’t the same electric team we saw against the Gee-Gees a week ago.
Traveling was part of the reason for their fatigue, but that is not a good excuse for underperforming according to fifth-year captain Taylor Brisebois.
“Everyone keeps saying how it’s really tough to play on the road and I don’t know if I agree. We can talk about the travel time and how we sat in the team room for an hour and a half just waiting to warm up, but I feel like it’s not a good excuse for how we performed,” said Brisebois. “It had to do with how we practiced all week.”
Thankfully the energy came back and the Marauders mustered an impressive comeback and stole three consecutive sets from the Lancers to win in five sets. Brisebois, Jedrzejewska, Mastroluisi, and Sorensen scored in double-digits to lead McMaster’s comeback.
Brisebois says her team’s strong response to the early deficit was partly out of fear.
“I think we adapted to their gameplay. We learned as we went. We started making fewer errors. Fear kind of struck us. We realized we had to respond when we were down two sets,” said Brisebois. “It just took us a while. We were asleep the first two sets.”
Fifth-year outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi made in-game adjustments that garnered high praise from Head Coach Tim Louks.
“Lauren was fantastic. She bought in and she executed,” said Louks.
Brisebois was impressed with her teammate’s ability and proficiency in adjusting on the fly.
“She adapted by hitting a sharp cross shot. She would make Windsor’s libero play a really short, off-speed ball,” Brisebois said. “It was cool to see because it’s a shot I haven’t seen her do a lot, but she was killing it.”
The next night at Western was a different story. The Mustangs mellowed the Marauders’ high spirits from the Windsor comeback.
Western dropped a four-set decision at McMaster in November, but Western was without standout second year Kelsey Veltman — arguably the Mustangs’ best player.
This time Veltman was healthy and the Mustangs exposed some of the Marauders’ weaknesses.
Brisebois saw it happen right away.
“They blocked us a lot. We’re not used to getting blocked,” Brisebois said. “Usually we hit a ball, we score, we move on. Teams really know us now. Western knew our shot charts really well. We need to learn how to hit different shots because we’re getting too predictable.”
“That night Western was better than us,” Louks said.
Western got their revenge and handed McMaster the same four-set defeat Mac handed them in November. Veltman scored a quarter of Western’s total points and Brisebois had to give her middle counterpart credit.
“Her presence made a huge difference. She is amazing,” said Brisebois. “It was also a revenge match for them. They had that fire that I guess we lacked. We were hyped for that match, but not the way they were. They wanted revenge. Hopefully next time it’ll be like that for us.”
“Everyone keeps saying how it’s really tough to play on the road and I don’t know if I agree."
The loss ended an impressive 11-match winning streak for McMaster and dropped them one spot to No. 7 in the latest CIS Top Ten poll.
“It was sad because I went into that game feeling really good. We won the first set and the second set was really close,” Brisebois said. “I think we were scared and holding back. We were scared of losing. We made errors everywhere.”
McMaster’s captain is aware that adjustments are necessary.
“We need to focus on minimizing errors and avoiding the block this week. Our error percentage was higher than usual. We look at a team like Toronto and they never miss,” said Brisebois. “That’s what we need to do. It’s not about how hard we can hit, but about not making errors and forcing our opponents to make errors.”
Louks thinks his team needs more replications of their opponents’ strategies so they can prepare better.
“In practice we need to show the girls more of what they can expect from our opponents. That’s on me,” said Louks. “I take that responsibility to help continue to inspire this group to find a way to put them in better places to be successful.”
No. 7 McMaster (12-2) hosts Lakehead (5-9) this Friday at Burridge. First serve is at 7 p.m.
Photo Credit: Alistar Boulby
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After a 68-63 loss to the Western Mustangs, the McMaster Women’s Basketball team knew that they had to bounce back.
This year, every loss the team has faced results in a win the following game and this time was no different.
The team spent the weekend in Thunder Bay, flying and looking to sweep the weekend.
They did just that, as the team was able to get back home with two wins under their belt, improving their overall record to ten wins and three losses.
The loss to Western hurt the team’s CIS Top Ten standing as they had to drop two spots. This week after a stellar weekend, the team’s progression has been upward as they currently are ranked seventh.
Friday’s game saw the Marauders play 12 on their roster. It was a great team effort as the bench was able to contribute 30 points to the score sheet.
For a game that usually looks to captain Danielle Boiago to set the pace, it was a quieter performance for the OUA’s second leading scorer as she only scored four points for the night. Boiago was able to assist in other ways as she got seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
It was McMaster’s game from the jump ball as they dominated all four quarters of play. The end of the first quarter saw the Marauders ahead of the Thunderwolves with 21-8.
The lead grew in favour of McMaster and they were able to play out a comfortable win for the first game night at the Thunderdome. Clare Kenney led the team with 16 points, while Rachael Holmes added 11 of her own.
Completing the two-game series 24 hours later, McMaster was looking for a sweep while Lakehead looked to claw back and even out the wins. It was a much closer close competition than Friday night, but McMaster was able to complete the sweep they intended for.
Not as much players got to touch hardwood for Maroon as they played nine compared to 12 the previous night.
Hilary Hanaka was the player of the night as she lead the way for the team with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Hanaka’s performance led her to be named this week’s Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
Siobhan Manning and Holmes were also able to claim 14 points of their own.
Players on the bench and starters stepped up and looked prepared to win both games.
As the final buzzer of the game sounded, McMaster defeated Lakehead 73-64.
McMaster’s strong weekend of play has them seeded first in the OUA Central division while Lakehead is fourth.
Marauders were not willing to compromise their position in the division.
McMaster will now enjoy a week of no play as they prepare to host Ottawa and Carleton on Feb. 12 and 13, 2016.
These games will take place during the McMaster Athletics annual Think Pink Weekend, a week where the department fundraises for breast cancer research and initiatives. Tip-off for both games is at 6 p.m.
Photo Credit: Rick Zazulak
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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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For those of you familiar with football, you’ll recognize the phrase “the 12th man” as referring to a home team’s loud crowd. Opposing teams get especially rattled playing in the home stadiums or gyms of teams with big fan bases.
Home crowd environments can be a team’s most valuable aspect off the court. This advantage isn’t a new phenomenon in sports. In the case of volleyball, the crowd can be something like “the seventh man” that supplements the six players already on the court.
Last Saturday night, McMaster beat Ottawa in straight sets in what was arguably the Marauders’ most dominating performance of the season. The next day they beat Guelph 3-1 in a matinee match, but there was a noticeable difference. The crowd was electric during the Ottawa match.
Third-year outside hitter Maicee Sorensen knows how much of an impact noise has on a team.
“A huge part of our energy in the Ottawa match is credited to our bench. They found some new creative ways to entertain the crowd and motivate the players on the court. Every person on this team is contributing, whether they are on the court or not,” said Sorensen.
The energy during the Guelph match was noticeably lower.
“It was a peculiar environment,” said Louks. “When that whistle went that crowd sat on its hands. It was peculiar. The whole festive environment seemed to be not festive.”
This is not a team making excuses about performance, but about a phenomenon that really does have an impact on the game being played. When a gym is filled with people in a school’s color and cheering loudly for the home team, there are positive effects. In contrast, if a gym is barely populated and you can hear a pin drop, something changes. Coaches and players notice it. They’ll still play the game and fight to win, but there’s an extra kick missing — a teammate, even.
“Sometimes when the crowd isn’t producing you need to take matters into your own hands. This sometimes means making a fool of yourself, but when you see your teammates’ reactions it’s totally worth looking silly,” Sorensen said. “One of the most important parts of volleyball is getting the person beside you to play their best. Every player is motivated in different ways, but crazy celebrations are one way to motivate all personalities.”
In their match against Guelph last Sunday, McMaster jumped out to a two-set lead before struggling to put Guelph away until the fourth set. They needed to hit an extra gear to finish Guelph off. They needed their seventh man.
“We were tired because it was our second game in a back-to-back, but we didn’t know we were going to be that tired. When you’re in that situation you need to ride that ‘seventh man’,” said Louks. “That has to help get us over the hump sometimes. We needed some help because we knew we were going to be a bit tired.”
Crowd energy isn’t essential to a team’s success, but it doesn’t hurt them either. It gives positive energy to the home team, while rattling the visiting team. Ultimately, as a spectator, you hope that the small things you do in the bleachers have just enough effect to help swing the match in your team’s favor. It’s a real thing and sometimes it’s what a team needs to finish their job and hit that fifth gear when they feel they have nothing left.
“Sometimes when the crowd isn’t producing you need to take matters into your own hands.”
Up next for the Marauders are road trips to Windsor on Jan. 29 and Western on Jan. 30. Both matches start at 6 p.m.
Photo Credit: Alistar Boulby
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Details separate the good from the great.
Good players can get by without fine-tuning their details. But the ones that become great work on the specifics of their craft that will largely go unnoticed. Great players will do whatever it takes to get the job done, no matter how small or trivial the task may seem.
“No matter who we’re preparing for, managing space is part of our tactical preparation,” said Head Coach Tim Louks. “Given certain types of defenses, do we have the shots to beat them?”
An effective offense knows how to find holes and ways to score against any given defense.
McMaster wants to be versatile so they can make opponents uncomfortable.
“Volleyball involves precision and power, but it’s not just hitting the ball hard. It’s about where you’re hitting it and how you’re hitting it,” said Louks. “We call it hitting with tactical intelligence.”
Fifth-year captain Taylor Brisebois knows exactly what this means.
“We’re working on hitting those deep corners of the court and avoiding the block. Coach is continuing swing high and getting those deep shots because they’re so effective,” said Brisebois. “He wants us to be smart and see the block and work around it. Once we work around a block we want to aim for open gaps and deep corners of the court.”
Avoiding the block is helpful because it teaches players to see where they’re hitting. Intentionally hitting the ball to specific locations is a skill that needs to be developed. It’s similar to a pitcher having command of his pitches. Once you can manage the velocity and movement of the ball, you’re a bigger threat.
“Now we’re adding that change of speed to the ball, but only occasionally. We don’t rely on it,” Louks said.
Perfecting placement of the ball ultimately goes towards scoring points. If McMaster can consistently hit balls to spaces that take opponents out of their comfort zone, they can become an even tougher team to beat.
“The more sophisticated a player’s arsenal of shots is, the more choices a coach has. This is what we’re working on. We want to expand the arsenal of shots a player has so that we’re tougher to defend,” said Louks.
With several weapons already at their disposal, an expanding arsenal would only improve the team.
“We’re hitting to spaces where their best defenders have to get out of position. When we do that, they have trouble digging and starting their offense. We want to make teams uncomfortable like that,” said Louks. “We want to get them out of position and force them to make plays from where they’re uncomfortable.”
McMaster is 9-1 and hosts Ottawa on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. and Guelph on Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. Both games will be in Burridge Gym.
Photo Credit: Nicole Zhang
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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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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Instead of walking out of the David Braley Athletic Centre in winter jackets and toques into the Canadian weather, the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team will be walking out of the gym into the Sunshine State heat this Christmas break.
The Marauders have won seven of their last eight games and stand atop the OUA West with 16 points and an 8-1 record.
Florida seems like a nice post-exam treat and late Christmas present.
But, as mentioned by Head Coach Tim Louks last week, the team wants to work and that’s what Florida will provide.
Prior to departing for Palm Harbor, FL, the Marauders will be on a scaled down schedule that involves hour workouts each day from Dec. 7 to Dec. 22.
“We’re going to work on defense, blocking, and details like that to lay groundwork for the second half,” said Louks. “We won’t put a big load on them. We’ll dabble in volleyball the next two weeks but they’ll be studying for exams and doing some strength and agility stuff. That’s what I want them to focus on right now.”
Add a few days back home for Christmas and then the work starts up again.
“After Christmas we always have a lot of defensive practices and serve-receive stuff. It’s just a lot of passing reps and digging reps,” said Mastroluisi.
The trip down south is a business trip of sorts.
“It’s a limited distraction environment,” said Louks. “In Florida we let volleyball take over for a while and then we get back to life, family, and school afterwards.”
While the warm coastal temperatures and the climate will surely evoke vacation-like vibes, the purpose of this trip is to train and work at their craft in a controlled setting. In Florida the team will have regular two-a-days and practices in between the four-day CIS South and Innisbrook Invitational they’ll host. There will be five teams at the tournament this year. The games will be played at community centers.
“This year we have Sherbrooke and McGill who are both CIS Top Ten teams. We have Brandon University where the CIS championship will be hosted this year and then we have Brock,” said Louks. “It has been pretty good in the past.”
The team won’t be playing any NCAA teams like Florida, Florida State or other American club teams because their seasons finish earlier.
For the past eight years or so Louks has organized a training trip and invitational tournament down in Florida. It happens every other year. The team will be flying out on Dec. 28 and arriving in Palm Harbor, FL, just outside the Tampa area. McMaster will play and practice on Dec. 30-31 and Jan. 2- 3. The invitational winner will be announced on Jan. 3. The Marauders fly home on Jan. 6 and play their first match of 2016 at home against Brock on Jan. 15.
“Arguably and historically, coming into the second half of the season, we have turned the Florida training into some good stuff,” said Louks.
Fifth-year captain and outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi echoes her coach’s words.
“Everyone always says, ‘What’s in the water in Florida?’ because we play so well during and after the trip,” said Mastroluisi. “I think it’s because we’re just focused on volleyball. We’re not focused on school or relationships. We’re in Florida to play volleyball with our friends.”
This concept of getting away with the team specifically to focus on your game isn’t a new one. You see it in all different sports. Teams retreat away from their regular settings to focus on their craft. The goal of it all is to return better than you were when you went in.
“I’m not expecting anything other than a commitment by our athletes to do the things they need to do. Hopefully that translates into strong performances after the trip,” Louks said.
“Right now we’re great defensively, but we can improve especially when we see teams like Toronto and Ryerson later in the season. Defense does win championships,” Mastroluisi said. “I think that although we’re a good defensive team now, we have the potential to be great because our team is super athletic. In the first game after Christmas break we always go and dig the lights out.”
McMaster should come out firing after the break. A team already catching fire may pick up more steam coming out of the south. After their Florida trip in 2014, the Marauders went a dazzling 10-1 en route to capturing an OUA banner.
Their eyes are on that banner again. Here’s to hoping history repeats itself.
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People say that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. For the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team, this saying is certainly true.
They are, as Head Coach Tim Louks calls it, “coming to want” instead of coming to work.
“They want to be at practice. They want to perfect that passing technique. That’s not fun stuff. That’s just repetition,” said Louks. “They all want to be better passers and they want to touch the ball better. They want to master the details.”
Fifth-year captain and outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi understands the importance of details.
“We are so prepared for every team that we play against. We are studying them hard; we know individual and team stats,” said Mastroluisi. “I honestly don’t think we can study teams more than we do right now.”
This high-level preparation has translated itself well.
Two preseason tournament titles, a 6-1 record, and consistent appearances in the CIS Top Ten are on the resumé of the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team a month and a half into their season. Their only loss was a five-setter on the road at Guelph — a team that they beat in the Thanksgiving Classic in Burridge. Since the Guelph loss, McMaster has won 15 of its past 16 sets and is on a five-game winning streak. The team wants greatness and is willing to put in the work to attain it.
You could say they’re on a roll. They’re even doing it with a little swagger.
“Oh yeah. You should’ve seen Rebecca Steckle. She had career-high numbers against Western. She’s bringing a little energy, a little swagger to that whole thing, but not arrogantly,” Louks said. “It’s fantastic to watch. I think her attitude is representative of our team and I think we’ve got something special.”
“We do have swag. I think it’s sort of a confidence. We’re not cocky. It’s a quiet confidence that we carry around with us. We have such a talented team and we know that, but that Guelph loss humbled us and we’ve used that as an extra kick to get us back on track,” said Mastroluisi.
McMaster knows they have a lot to play for and that opponents have a target on them. This seems to be the case for both the men’s and women’s teams. In the latest CIS Top Ten poll, McMaster and Toronto were the only two OUA teams at No. 9 and No. 4, respectively. McMaster is also currently atop the OUA West.
“100 percent I think this team has what it takes to win the OUA. We have so much potential this year to do well,” said Mastroluisi.
McMaster heads to Kingston this weekend to play Queen’s (Nov. 27) and RMC (Nov. 28) for their last games of 2015. Both matches start at 6 p.m.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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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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