The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team will bring serious momentum into the playoffs, after capping the regular season with their 14th straight victory, defeating the Algoma Thunderbirds 88-37.

McMaster concluded the regular season with a 20-4 record, clinching the top spot in the OUA West division and the right to host throughout the conference playoffs.

Rookie guardSarah Gates (Newmarket, ON) continued her dominant second semester for the Marauders, scoring 16 points and finishing the game shooting 40 per cent (6-15).

Gates was one of four Marauders to have double-digit scoring performances in their final regular season game. Starters Olivia Wilson (Lion's Head, ON) (13 points) and Linnaea Harper (Newmarket, ON) (12 points) were both active in the paint for McMaster and contributed 17 rebounds between the two of them.

Julia Hanaka (Hamilton, ON) rounded out the double-digit performances for Mac. The Hamilton native tallied 11 points and led the Marauders with three steals. She knocked down three three-pointers in the first half.

Jamerka Martin (Milwaukee, WI) led the Thunderbirds with 15 points in her final game of her OUA career.

In the first half, the Marauders were typically effective at range, hitting 45 per cent of their shots from beyond the arc.

McMaster went into halftime holding on to a 45-24 lead, adding a bucket to their halftime total from the night before.

Piecing together a strong defensive performance, the Marauders held the Thunderbirds to just five points in the third quarter while adding 20 to their own total.

The fourth quarter saw little improvement in Algoma's game plan as the Marauders continued to have their way en route to their 20th victory.

Wins and losses aside, both teams recognized their seniors following their final regular season game. Algoma's Sydney Resch, Mairead Dunn, and Jamerka Martin were presented with flowers by Marauders' head coach Theresa Burns as Saturday marked their final game of their OUA careers.

McMaster's seniors Lexie Spadafora (Hannon, ON), Jelena Mamic (St Catharines, ON) and Adrienne Peters (Burlington, ON) were honoured for their time with the Marauders women's basketball team. Coach Burns presented each with a ceremonial plaque and flowers.

UP NEXT: After finishing as the no. 1 seed in the OUA's West Division, the Marauders will have a first round bye when the playoffs get underway this upcoming week. They will face the winner of the matchup between the no. 4 and no. 5 seeds in an OUA quarterfinal on Saturday, February 24 at Burridge Gym.

Further information regarding start time and ticket information will be on Marauders.ca when made available.