HAMILTON, Ont. - The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team (11-7) battled through back-to-back games this weekend, securing a thrilling victory at home over the York Lions on Friday before falling to the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold on the road Saturday.
 
January 31 – McMaster vs York
Playing in front of their home crowd at Burridge Gym on Friday night, the Marauders put together a consistent performance to outlast the York Lions (6-12) 87-80.

Emily Frankovic (Thornhill, Ont.) led McMaster with an impressive 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while Amy Stinson (Hamilton, Ont.) contributed 20 points and five steals in a strong two-way effort.

The Marauders came out strong in the first quarter, with Cassandra Joli-Cour (Johnstown, Ont.) grabbing an offensive rebound and finishing a putback layup to put McMaster on the board early. A key moment came midway through the frame when Stinson intercepted a York pass, drove coast to coast and converted a layup to give McMaster a lead.

McMaster's depth shone in the second quarter as A'Mya Rawlins-Thomas (Ajax, Ont.) provided an energy boost off the bench, scoring consecutive layups to extend the lead to 27-18. The Marauders continued to control the tempo, with Delaney Bourget (Sudbury, Ont.) knocking down a three-pointer late in the quarter to maintain momentum.

During the third quarter, McMaster's defence locked in, forcing multiple turnovers that led to transition buckets. Sophia Urosevic (Kitchener, Ont.) played a key role, recording a pair of steals and scoring 14 points off the bench. Despite a late push from York, McMaster held firm, with Frankovic draining clutch free throws in the final minutes to seal the win.
 
February 1 – McMaster at TMU
After a strong showing Friday, the Marauders faced a tough challenge Saturday against a well-organized and Central first seed TMU (14-4) squad. Despite a hot start, McMaster struggled to maintain offensive efficiency and fell 69-51 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The Marauders set the tone early, with Joli-Cour sinking a mid-range jumper to open the scoring, followed by a Stinson fast-break layup off a steal from Deanna Mataseje (Ancaster, Ont.) to grab an early 4-2 lead.

McMaster's best stretch came late in the first quarter when Bourget drained back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the Marauders ahead 13-6. Frankovic capped off the quarter with a strong drive to the hoop, finishing through contact to give McMaster a 22-14 advantage heading into the second frame.

However, TMU responded with a 24-point second quarter, flipping the momentum. The Marauders continued to fight, with Mataseje scoring on a putback layup and Stinson converting a driving layup to keep McMaster within striking distance.

Cold shooting in the second half proved costly for McMaster, as they managed just eight points in the third quarter. Despite relentless defensive efforts from Mataseje and Bourget, the Marauders couldn't close the gap as TMU controlled the paint and secured the victory.

The Marauders will look to bounce back on Wednesday as they return to Toronto, Ont. and look to improve their record against the York Lions yet again.