(We’re going) back to back

Two games, two nights, same result.

The McMaster women’s basketball team got the ball rolling last weekend when they welcomed the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves to Burridge gym. First up was a Friday night showdown against a physical Lakehead squad known for their tough play in the post.

Coming off a two week break in the schedule, the Marauders struggled to find their rhythm offensively, shooting just 30 per cent from the field and going 3-16 from beyond the arc.

“Unfortunately we didn’t come out the way we wanted to,” said third-year player Hillary Hanaka. “Our first half was slow, and we weren’t focused on a couple of skill things as we hoped to be.”

But the Marauders hung tight, relying on gritty defensive possessions to keep within striking distance. In the end, it was leading scorer and fifth-year veteran Danielle Boiago who put the team on her back and delivered a clutch performance.

Boiago put up an incredible 31 points on the night, including a pair of deep threes and a perfect 7-7 shooting from the free-throw line, while adding five assists.

“Danny is a special basketball player,” said assistant coach Andrew Baillie. “Sometimes she will pick up the slack where it is needed, and yesterday was a good example of that. She played very tough, physically [and mentally]… the fans got a good show.”

On the defensive side of the floor, Boiago had a game-high eight rebounds and three steals, forcing the Thunderwolves to transition quickly in a game where McMaster struggled to dictate their fast pace of play. Clare Kenney added 10 points, while Linnaea Harper had a big game on the glass, pulling in 12 boards on the night.

Down by as much as nine points earlier in the game, the Marauders stayed composed late, forcing Lakehead into making errors and capitalizing on missed opportunities. Perhaps the most telling progressions came late in the fourth, when McMaster forced a shot clock violation out of a Lakehead timeout to open up a clean three-point opportunity at the other end.

Later in the quarter, when up by three with 26 seconds left on the clock, Boiago came up with a clutch steal under the basket to set up a clean jumper from Harper in the paint, making it a two possession game. Harper’s basket closed the scoring for the night, giving the Marauders a hard earned 63-58 win.

“It was obviously nice to pull out the win in the end,” said Hanaka. “I think our first half [could be improved]. Near the end of last season we came out really strong but this year we have sort of lacked it. We are a quick team when we get into it, [and] I think we can out-run them.”

Flash forward to Saturday night and the Mac women did just that. Off to a roaring start, the Marauders outscored the Thunderwolves 26-16 in the first quarter alone, working off of fast transitions and shooting just over 43 per cent from the field.

Forward Clare Kenney led the way with 17 points in 22 minutes of action, while Hillary Hanaka added 14 points and seven assists on the night. Lakehead struggled to match Mac’s up-tempo style of play, falling behind by as many as 20 halfway into the third.

Fatigue seemed to be a factor, as the Thunderwolves lacked the speed and explosiveness they showed the night prior, struggling to stay with Mac’s deep backcourt.

“We know we can outlast almost every team, and if we just keep pushing through to the fourth quarter, we can keep up,” said assistant coach Anne Marie Thuss. “When you are fit, your mental game stays level too, and that’s important.”

In a night that highlighted McMaster’s depth, second-year guard Erin Burns had a breakout evening, showing incredible grit on the defensive end and finishing with five steals on the night.

“Her coming in and diving on balls gives us a little more energy,” said Thuss. “She was able to steal the ball, distribute it back to the shooters and really produce. That was a gutsy performance.”

It was that “win at all costs” style of play that truly defined the Marauders over the course of the weekend, and will continue to do so moving forward. Because at the end of the day it isn’t the 31 point performances or loose ball plays you rely on, it’s whether or not you can find a way to win.

And find a way they did. Twice.