HAMILTON, Ont. – On Saturday, the McMaster Marauders (6-16) put up a fierce fight against the TMU Bold (15-7) in a high-pressure finish at Burridge Gymnasium.
Brendan Amoyaw (Winnipeg, Man.) got the action going for the Marauders with a dunk, soon followed by 3-point jumpers from
Mike Demagus (Scarborough, Ont.) and
Tyler Garcia (Mississauga, Ont.). TMU managed to pull away at the end of the first quarter with a score of 19-14.
The Marauders attempted to close the gap in the second quarter.
Moody Qasim (Mississauga, Ont.) and
Jeremiah Francis (Surrey, B.C.) drained 3-point jump shots to bring the score to a five-point difference, 25-20.
Riaz Saliu (Oshawa, Ont.) executed a dunk to bring the score to 37-35, TMU at the half.
The third quarter was a close, back-and-forth game. The Marauders were able to bring the score to within one point multiple times. However, TMU found their momentum and led 57-49 going into the fourth quarter.
There was a lot of energy in the gym as the Marauders made a late comeback. With under two minutes left in the game, Qasim made another 3-point shot, followed by a layup from Demagus to bring the score to 69-68. The Marauders fought hard until the final moments; however, TMU managed to pull through in the last second to win the game 70-68.
The McMaster Marauders men's basketball team couldn't keep pace with the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday, falling 77-53 at Burridge Gymnasium.
McMaster started well, keeping the game close in the first quarter, which ended with Toronto holding a slim 16-15 lead. Qasim got the Marauders going with an early jumper, and Demagus added with a tough layup in transition. However, the Varsity Blues took control in the second quarter, outscoring McMaster 25-13, and were up 41-28 after the first two quarters.
McMaster tried to mount a comeback in the third, with
Daniel Graham (Hamilton, Ont.) knocking down a three and Saliu adding a layup inside. But Toronto's defense stifled any momentum, and the Marauders were held to just six points in the final quarter as the game slipped away.
Qasim led McMaster with 12 points, while Demagus and Saliu each had eight. The loss eliminated the Marauders from playoff contention and dropped McMaster's record to 6-16 on the season.