Box Score It was a tough battle for the McMaster Marauders against the Algoma Thunderbirds, but they managed to pull away late to come away with the 76-61 victory, as the team honoured its graduating seniors at the last home game of the regular season on Saturday night.
 
The first quarter was back and forth with both teams struggling to get ahead, but the Marauders managed to go into the second quarter with a slim 17-14 lead.
 
Mac started the second quarter strong on a 10-2 run, forcing Algoma to call a timeout.  The visitors were able to respond with a 7-0 run of their own late in the second quarter to close the gap, as the Marauders were up 33-29 going into the intermission.  McMaster was able to force 13 first half turnovers to hold the slim lead, despite Algoma shooting 41% from the field and 43% from deep.
 
The Thunderbirds made a quick run early in the third to take a one-point lead. But the Marauders kept their composure and went on a 7-0 run to retake a six-point lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the quarter. Going into the final frame Mac had a 54-44 lead.
 
McMaster kept it rolling in the fourth, going on a 9-2 run midway through the quarter to grab an 18-point cushion, helping secure the 15-point victory.
 
Connor Gilmore lead the Marauders in scoring with 20 points, with David McCulloch just behind him with 17.  Veteran Rohan Boney had a well-rounded game chipping in 16 points while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
 
Prior to the game, Lazar Kojovic, Elliot Ormond and Boney were all recognized for their careers as Marauders.
 
Ormond is in his fourth year as a member of the team, averaging four points and three rebounds per game.
 
Kojovic is in his fifth season, with averages of eight points, four rebounds and two assists per game.
 
Another 5^th-year player, Boney has been a strong contributor on both ends of the court averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and over one steal per game.
 
The Marauder win snapped a three-game losing streak and will hopefully carry some momentum into the next game on Wednesday, February 15th when the team will face the Windsor Lancers. The game can be streamed online at OUA.tv at 8-pm.   
 
By Jonah Tuck