Box Score It was a key OUA Central division contest and the McMaster women's basketball team knocked off the Guelph Gryphons 81-58 in Hamilton Saturday afternoon.   The win moves the Marauder record to 5-2 , which ties them with Guelph at the top of the division.

Typical of McMaster-Guelph games it was intense and at times very physical as both teams understood the importance of beating a division rival.

With the score tied 13-13 in the opening quarter, the Marauders went on an 11-2 run to finish the period and take a 24-15 lead after 10 minutes. 

The second quarter was pretty even, but the Maroon added to its lead and carried a 41-30 advantage into intermission.  The big difference in the first half was that McMaster made 48% of its shots, while Guelph shot a cool 30% clip.   The Marauders also got a huge boost from Hilary Hanaka, who came off the bench and scored 11 points.
 
The Guelph shooting woes continued in the third quarter as McMaster opened with an 8-0 run to open a 19-point margin.   By the end of 30 minutes, that was the deficit Guelph faced heading to the final stanza.

In the fourth quarter, McMaster continued to press the attack and when Rachael Holmes and Linnaea Harper hit back-to-back treys, the lead had grown to 25.  Credit the Gryphons for playing hard to the final buzzer, but the shots were not falling and the Marauders closed out the win.

Top shooter for Mac was Hanaka, who finished with 19, while making 8 of her 10 shots from the floor. Clare Kenney had her best game of the year with 17 points and 15 huge rebounds, while Danielle Boiago also had the double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.  Rachael Holmes also chipped in 10, but the whole roster contributed to the important victory.   Guelph was led by Kate MacIntosh with 14 and 10 boards.

For the game, McMaster made 46% of its shots, while Guelph was only at 27%. The Marauders dominated the glass, grabbing 46 rebounds to Guelph's 31.

The Marauders now enter the exam/holiday break and resume OUA competition on January 13, 2016 at the University of Waterloo.