TORONTO, Ont. - The McMaster Marauders men's basketball team got off to a strong start in an OUA First Round Playoff match-up with the TMU Bold but a slow second half ended the Marauders' season as they fell 104-92.

The maroon and grey looked to cement themselves early in the first game of the post-season on the road against the Bold and they did just that. The Marauders came out strong, shooting 52.9% from the field and an impressive 50% from beyond the arc to go up by eight at the end of the opening frame. 

After McMaster started the game with some pace, the visitors struggled to keep up with the Bold in the second. In the final 3:26 of the second, the Bold went on a 14-7 run to narrow the Marauder advantage to just three at the halftime break. 

Coming into the third quarter, the visitors would initially extend the lead to nine but TMU would move ahead with 5:49 remaining in the third. The Bold went 72.2% from the field and 50% from three-point range to outscore McMaster 32-16 in the frame to make the advantage 13 for the hosts.

With the season on the line, both teams picked up the tempo in the fourth quarter. The two squads exchanged baskets throughout the final frame but the TMU lead would be too much to come back from. The Bold secured a 104-92 victory to secure a berth in the OUA quarterfinals where they will take on the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Mike Demagus finished the game with a team-high 22 points for the Marauders followed by Cashius McNeilly with 13 while both Nathan Charles and Khalil Miller recorded 11 points apiece.

The loss marks the final time the McMaster seniors will wear the maroon and grey and concludes the 2022-23 season for the Marauders as they finished the regular season with a 12-10 record. McMaster will now turn its attention to preparations for the 2023-24 OUA season.