Marauders to play NCAA opponent on home court

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The McMaster men's basketball team will play Bradley University,
an NCAA, Division I team from Peoria, Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. at the Burridge Gymnasium on the McMaster University campus.

Bradley University finished with a 15-16 record in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2003/04. They are lead by Marcellus Sommerville who was voted the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-Conference last season after leading the league in rebounding and finishing third in scoring at 15.6 ppg. The 6'7″ forward also became the first-ever Bradley Newcomer to sink at least 50, three-point field goals in a season by leading the 2003-04 Braves with 51 treys.

McMaster finished the conference season in first place with a record of 17-5 and captured a sixth OUA est banner advancing to the national championship for the eleventh time in the past 12 years.

At the national championships, McMaster was defeated in the quarter-finals by the University of Calgary 74-66. McMaster rebounded to defeat the University of New Brunswick and Brock University to win the consolation championship for the first time.

McMaster is lead by 6'6″ CIS All-Canadian Adam Guiney. Third-year forward, Adam Steiner (6'7″) will look to improve on an excellent season where he averaged 9.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg.

In the backcourt, McMaster returns 2004 Senior National team member and OUA All-Star Ben Katz (16.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg). He will be joined by 2002 OUA All-Star, Rob Scully (13.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg)

McMaster will look from key contributions from fourth-year guard Eli Carlione, and second-year forward Matthew Weber.

The McMaster Backcourt will be bolstered by Mohawk College transfer, Martin Ajayi, a 2003 Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) All-Star and Central Division Scoring leader (20.1 ppg). Also joining the Marauders is two-time Provincial team member, Nathan Histed, a 6'3″ guard from Hamilton St. Mary's.

Of interest, McMaster OUA All-Star Guard, Ben Katz played on the Canadian National team this summer with former Bradley men's basketball player, James Gillingham.