It had been nine years since McMaster men's basketball had played an NCAA opponent and the return to facing Division-One opposition was a tough one as the Marshall Thundering Herd handed McMaster an 81-56 defeat to remain undefeated on the team's Canadian tour.
For McMaster the game came down to an inability to hit shots all night long. The Burridge Gym was very warm on this August night, but the Marauder shooting was frigid as the team shot 12.8% in the first half and trailed 33-18 at the half. McMaster made only one of 18 three-point attempts in the first two quarters.
The second half was only slightly better for the Marauders as Marshall extended the lead to 60-35 by the end of the third. Playing for some pride McMaster was able to play the Herd even in the fourth quarter to keep the deficit at 25 at game's end.
McMaster ended up shooting 16 of 70 (22.9%) from the floor for the game and made 4 of 31 (12.9%) from beyond the arc. The Marauders grabbed 50 rebounds on the night, compared to 47 for Marshall.
McMaster got 10 points each from Leon Alexander and Nathan McCarthy, while Taylor Black grabbed 11 boards. Marshall had four players score in double figures, led by Elijah Pittman with 18.
Marshall will complete its Canadian tour on Tuesday, August 20 at 6 p.m. when the Herd faces the A-Game club team in McMaster's Burridge Gym.
The Marauders will re-group and prepare for the start of non-conference play on October 1st, when they help open the new athletic centre at Mohawk College with a game against the Mountaineers.
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