Box Score After a hard fought three quarters, third-ranked McMaster caught fire in the fourth to come away with a 73-47 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton. The win improves Mac's OUA record to 14-2.
Marauder All-Canadian Danielle Boiago started the game strong, scoring the first eight points for the home side, but Waterloo responded well, finishing the quarter on an 8-2 run to give the scrappy Warriors a 14-12 lead going into the second.
Dialing long distance, McMaster knocked down its first three triples of the second stanza allowing the Marauders to retake the lead, but Waterloo extended their defence, which resulted in Mac going 0 for 8 from deep for the rest of the quarter. Playing some defense of their own, Mac was able to hold Waterloo to just 19% from the field in the second, and the Marauders held a slim 27-23 lead going into halftime.
The game stayed close for most of the third quarter until Waterloo took a one-point lead with just under five minutes remaining. Mac then responded with back to back treys from Boiago and Vanessa Pickard to key a 10-3 run, and at the end of the third the Maroon were up 46-40.
The Marauders carried their momentum into the fourth quarter starting out on an 8-0 run to build 14-point lead. McMaster also upped their intensity on defence in the final quarter, holding Waterloo to just seven points, to come away with the 26-point win.
"We just paid more attention to detail," said Marauders Head Coach Theresa Burns of the game changing third-quarter run. "In the first half we did a lot of things well but some open shots weren't falling. We were taking more contested shots and so it was really just paying more attention and making sure that all the looks we were getting were good ones."
McMaster shot 53% from long range in the second half and went to the line seven times, but converting on just three attempts. The Marauders outrebounded the Warriors 18-3 on the offensive glass leading to 19 second-chance points for Mac.
For the game, Danielle Boiago led McMaster in scoring with 20 and also added seven rebounds, seven assists and came away with five steals, while Pickard provided the Marauders with a spark off the bench scoring 14 points.
The Marauders will now prepare for their game next Saturday (Feb. 11) versus the Algoma Thunderbirds at 6-pm. The game also marks Senior Recognition night as the team will salute the graduating players on this year's squad.
The game can be streamed online at OUA.tv and is on radio on CFMU 93.3FM.
By Jonah Tuck
