Making the rounds, the McMaster Marauders men's basketball team had a showdown against the Toronto Metropolitan Bold, where the Marauders found themselves on top by the end of the square off, 74-67.

Tyler Garcia played a sizeable game tonight, posting 18 points with three assists. TMU's announcer, Dara Osokaya was quoted saying "He's 5'10 but he plays so much bigger. He's methodical in the way he plays and the basketball gods were smiling down on him tonight."

In the pre-work for the game, the Bold were ranked right on top of the Marauders in the OUA Central category. With the closeness of the central division, but majority of the OUA teams, it was bound to be a tough and close matchup.

The first quarter was won by the Bold. They outdid their opponents, and were first too. When the Marauders were wrestling with balls falling through the net, the Bold doubled their shots. Even so, the Marauders were prepared for this. Meanwhile, the second was already starting to look more promising for Marauder fans. Gaining some ground on the scoreboard, the Mac team dropped more points in the second. While style points aren't credited in the OUA, Nathan Charles led his team to what felt like a game changer, late in the second quarter. With .30 on the clock, Charles found a steal and a reverse layup, bring the half to a 28-34 wrap.

Returning from the half, the Bold left the Marauders no option but to rise up. Stunning them, the Hamilton squad squashed their lead and took one of their own, after a 18 point run. It was 6 minutes into the new quarter before the home team saw a successful basket. Apart of that run, Daniel Graham dropped a weighty three, to set the score 37-34. The neutralizer brought redemption back into scope. The third brought 25 points for the Marauders sinking 23, while the Bold started struggling to maintain the previous rhythm.

The fourth brought a clear objective for the Marauders: keep and clench the lead. Doing exactly that while growing the lead to a maximum of 8, in the quarter, after a Garcia 3-pointer. Continuing to be a few possessions ahead in points, the minutes starting closing and the Bold found themselves optionless. By the final minute they were down by 7 points and the Marauders weren't willing to lose. The first round of OUA Playoffs came to an end 84-64, Marauders win.

What's Next?

The McMaster Marauders will continue their playoff journey on the road, as they travel to Kingston to play the Queens Gaels on Saturday at 3pm.