HAMILTON, Ont, - The McMaster Marauders men's basketball team (4-14) faced a challenging weekend, dropping a home contest against the York Lions (4-14) on Friday before staging a thrilling comeback victory on the road at Toronto Metropolitan University (11-7) on Saturday night.
 
January 31 – McMaster vs York
Despite a slow start, the Marauders fought hard in the second half but couldn't overcome the York Lions in a 72-63 loss at Burridge Gym on Friday night.

Ares Culley-Bremner (Hamilton, Ont.) provided an inside presence, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds, while Brendan Amoyaw (Winnipeg, Man.) added 11 points and 10 boards for a double-double.

The game saw Daniel Graham (Hamilton, Ont.) get McMaster on the board early with a tough layup in the first quarter, but the Marauders found themselves trailing 17-9 after 10 minutes. McMaster struggled offensively in the opening three quarters, managing just seven points in the third. The deficit grew as York controlled the pace, but McMaster's defence tightened in the fourth, leading to key transition buckets.

The Marauders came alive in the final frame, outscoring York 34-19 and nearly pulled off a late comeback. Jeremiah Francis (Surrey, B.C.) sparked the late surge, knocking down four three-pointers good for a team-high of 18 points off the bench. One of Francis' triples cut the Lions' lead down to six points (62-56, York) at the 2:10 mark. On the next possession, the crowd went wild after Tyler Garcia (Mississauga, Ont.) scooped up a loose ball and Amoyaw followed up with a put-back dunk over York's defense. Despite the late push, the Marauders ran out of time to complete the comeback.
 
February 1 – McMaster at TMU
Less than 24 hours after their home loss, the Marauders bounced back, overcoming a double-digit deficit to defeat TMU 76-72 on the road.

Trailing for most of the first half, McMaster's third-quarter push flipped the script, outscoring TMU 25-12. Mike Demagus (Scarborough, Ont.) led the charge with 14 points and eight rebounds, including a clutch layup in the closing moments to keep McMaster ahead.

The comeback was fueled by Amoyaw's aggressive play inside, as he finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Riaz Saliu (Oshawa, Ont.) was a force in the paint, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

After TMU built an early 10-point lead, Graham knocked down a crucial three-pointer in the first quarter to shift momentum. In the second half, Garcia delivered a highlight-reel assist to Amoyaw for a two-handed slam, igniting the Marauders' bench.

With under a minute to play, Demagus sank two free throws to extend the lead, and McMaster's defence held strong on the final possession to seal the victory.

The Birds will travel to the York Lion's den on Wednesday for a rematch.