HAMILTON, Ont. - The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team will close out the 2022-23 OUA regular season in front of a home crowd this weekend. The Marauders will look to rebound after last weekend's loss to the reigning national champions, the TMU Bold, and clinch a first-round bye in the process.
Waterloo vs McMaster
Burridge Gymnasium | Hamilton, Ont.
February 17th, 2023 @ 6pm
Toronto vs McMaster
Burridge Gymnasium | Hamilton, Ont.
February 18th, 2023 @ 6pm
After facing off four times last season, the Marauders and Warriors will meet for the first time this season on Friday. In 2021-22, the two squads matched-up in an OUA first round playoff game in Waterloo.
The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 63-45 that day. Point-guard
Sarah Gates, led the game with 23 points, including a trio of threes, for McMaster, guiding her team to the victory in Waterloo. Gates' three-point action was mirrored by
Mia Spadafora, who put away 3-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Defensively, experienced forward
Clare Sharkey was ready at the basket, grabbing seven defensive rebounds for her team to go along with a career high five blocks - the five blocks ties a program record originally set by Chiara Rocca during the 2005-06 season. Prior to that, McMaster and Waterloo last matched-up for a home-and-home in early March. The maroon and grey fell to the black and gold in both of those contests by 50-28 and 72-69 final scores. With just two games left on the OUA schedule for the Warriors, Waterloo sits at a 16-4 record, and are coming off seven straight wins, most recently against the Western Mustangs and Toronto Varsity Blues. The Guelph Gryphons handed the Warriors their last loss of the calendar year on January 20th by a 54-38 scoreline. The Marauders have won seven of the last ten meetings between the two squads.
McMaster and the Toronto Varsity Blues met just this past weekend. Five Marauders scored in double figures as the McMaster women's basketball team opened its weekend road trip with an 88-57 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night.
Sarah Gates scored a game-high 26 points, adding three rebounds and a steal to her statline. Fourth-year guard
Arianne Soriano was efficient from the field as she shot 85.7 percent (6-for-7) and two-for-three from beyond the arc for 14 points. She also added a team-high eight rebounds. Third-year guard
Jenna Button registered 14 points,
Cassie Joli-Coeur contributed 12 and
Amy Stinson came off the bench for 13 points. The Marauders scored 20 or more points in each quarter, including a 25 point final frame. Prior to that, the Marauders and Varsity Blues last matched-up in November of 2019. The Marauders dropped the Varsity Blues by a 78-56 scoreline. Twenty-one games into the 2022-23 OUA season, Toronto holds a 4-17, and are coming off two losses at the hands of McMaster and Waterloo. The Marauders own the head-to-head series, recording the victory in eleven of the past fourteen contests.
The McMaster Marauders have been dominant in the second half of the season but had their win streak come to an end on Saturday against the TMU Bold. The maroon and grey will look to close out the regular season with two straight wins in order to earn a first round bye.
Last Time Out
The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team fell to the TMU Bold 78-63 in last weekend's road contest. In the final road contest of the OUA regular season, veteran guard,
Sarah Gates, and sophomore forward,
Cassie Joli-Coeur, led McMaster with 28 and 10 points, respectively. Gates added eleven rebounds to record the double-double. After scoring the first basket of the game, McMaster trailed TMU by seven points before cutting the advantage to just two at the end of the first quarter. The Marauders struggled in the second quarter, in part because of the offensive press by the Bold. The hosts averaged 64.3% from the field and 55.6% from three point range to make the lead twelve at the half. McMaster would come out strong in the third to narrow the advantage (63-59) but the final frame went the way of the Bold who ultimately took the game by a final score of 78-63.
Players to Watch
Waterloo Warriors
#4 Vanessa Hughes, 4th Year (Elig.), Guard
- Averages a team best 17.1 PPG
- Ranked fourth in the OUA in 3PT% (40.6%)
- Has 39 steals headed into this weekend's games
McMaster Marauders
#9 Mia Spadafora, 5th Year (Elig.), Guard
- Leads the nation in three-point percentage (50%)
- Has recorded 20 steals on the season
- Averages 4.2 rebounds per game
Toronto Varsity Blues
#5 Lauren Boers, 3rd Year (Elig.), Guard
- Varsity Blues' leader with 13.0 PPG
- U SPORTS leader in made 3-pointers (60)
- Averages 35.8% from the field
Game Coverage
Watch Live:
https://oua.yaretv.com/
Twitter: @McMasterSports
Instagram: @mcmasterwbb
For the latest news and updates on the McMaster Marauders, follow @mcmastersports on social media or visit www.marauders.ca.
