Box Score The McMaster men's basketball team showed some grit on Saturday night and defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves 62-56 in Hamilton.  The Marauders were able to sweep Lakehead in the two-game weekend series.

Off the opening tip it looked like McMaster might romp as the team jumped out to a 12-0 lead.  Calling a timeout Lakehead got itself steadied and the battle was on.  After 10 minutes McMaster enjoyed a 19-9 lead. 

The second quarter was a total reversal as Lakehead went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 19. McMaster went almost seven minutes without scoring before finally getting a hoop, but the Wolves won the quarter 12-2 and at intermission the teams were tied 21-21.  While not an offensive showcase by any stretch, both teams scrapped hard and another close finish looked to be in store.

Lakehead grabbed a quick 4-point lead in the third quarter, but Marauder guard David McCulloch then took over and scored nine  in the quarter to give his team a 40-39 lead after 30 minutes.

McMaster opened a 6-point lead to open the final quarter, and held it through the first five minutes.  Lakehead then started its push and a drive by Henry Tam got them to within two, but Connor Gilmore made some clutch baskets down the stretch to keep the Wolves at bay.   Some unsung Marauders in the fourth quarter were Braedon Brown, who scored a big hoop and tied up a loose ball to give Mac a key possession, and Chris Thompson, who shrugged off a tough shooting night to make three big free-throws at crunch time.

McCulloch and Gilmore both scored 18 to lead McMaster, with Gilmore also grabbing 11 rebounds. Rohan Boney had another solid game with 12 points.   Top shooter for Lakehead was Bacarius Dinkins who scored 18 and added 14 rebounds. 

McMaster will next face its arch-rival, the Brock Badgers, who come to Hamilton on Wednesday , November  16th in a clash of teams ranked in the national top-ten.

The doubleheader with Brock has tip-off times of 6 and 8 p.m.