Opening the New Year in the same fashion that saw them roll through the fall, the #5 Marauders eased to their 10th victory of the conference season at Laurier's expense Friday.

McMaster exploded for 33 points in the second quarter, building a 50-27 lead at the halftime break, and comfortably saw out the result from there to notch its fourth consecutive win and keep pace at the top of the OUA West division with the 10-1 Lakehead Thunderwolves.

Friday's result marked Mac's sixth victory by a margin of 20 points or more through 12 games of OUA play.

Successfully spreading the offensive load in the win, the Marauders saw four players eclipse double digits in scoring, with veteran forward Linnaea Harper leading the way with 17 points from six of 11 from the floor and a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe.

Hilary Hanaka (15), Sarah Gates (14) and Mia Spadafora (12) also surpassed that threshold, as the Marauders shot 41 per cent from the floor as a unit and a blistering 46 per cent from three-point range.

Embarking on a 6-0 run to open the contest with three unanswered buckets, the Marauders never trailed Friday, building a five-point lead through 10 minutes before enjoying their breakout second quarter and effectively putting the game beyond reach.

NEXT UP: McMaster remains on the road in a week's time, as the Marauders travel to Guelph to battle the Gryphons on Friday, January 11. That game is scheduled to tip off at 6:00 p.m. and can be seen live on OUA.tv.