McMaster opens women’s basketball national championship against McGill

Congratulations to the Women’s Basketball team who travelled this week to Regina to participate in the National USPorts Championship Tournament. The Marauders were defeated in their quarterfinal match against McGill but did the University and our community proud on the national stage. The team was an OUA Silver Medalist this season as well.

Eight years have passed since the Marauders featured in the national championship tournament, hosting it in the friendly confines of Burridge Gym.

Thursday, that wait comes to an end for McMaster, as the OUA runners up launch their U SPORTS Championship weekend in Regina with a quarter final against the defending champions, the McGill Martlets.

Mac enters play Thursday on the heels of their most successful OUA campaign since 2008, riding a 20-4 regular season record and an 18-game winning streak into the Critelli Cup final, which they hosted at Burridge Gym for the first time in a decade.

Playing the top-seeded Carleton Ravens tough, and holding a lead through three quarters, the Marauders ultimately fell 75-66 as Carleton repeated as conference champions and earned the top seed for the national championship tournament.

By comparison, McMaster arrived in Regina as the fifth seed, and meet the fourth-seeded Martlets, who won their seventh consecutive RSEQ title with a 56-52 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or, in Thursday’s second quarter final at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Led by RSEQ Second Team All-Star Frederique Potvin’s 16-point performance, the Martlets overturned a 15-point deficit against the Rouge et Or to keep their conference title streak alive.

Potvin was one of three Martlets to be named to RSEQ year-end teams, alongside star centre and conference Most Valuable Player Alex Kiss-Rusk, who graced the first team, and guard Charlotte Clayton, who was named to the conference all-rookie team.

Backing up her own all-star turn strongly in the Critelli Cup final, McMaster guard Hilary Hanaka (Hamilton, ON) had a game high 22 points, while shooting nine of 16 from the floor and four of eight from three-point range, in her team’s conference final loss.

Hanaka was named to the OUA First Team for the first time in her career, while forward Linnaea Harper (Newmarket, ON) was named to the third team and guard Sarah Gates(Newmarket, ON) cracked the all-rookie team.

Thursday’s other quarter final matchups see the top-seeded Ravens take on the eighth-seeded Calgary Dinos at 2:00 p.m. EST, the host and Canada West champion Regina Rams battle the RSEQ runners up Laval at 7:00 p.m. EST and the AUS champion Acadia confront the Canada West runners up Saskatchewan at 9:00 p.m. EST.

All of Thursday’s games can be seen live or on demand on USPORTS.live.

LAST MEETING:

McGill 70-59 McMaster – October 15, 2017 (non conference)

The Marauders opened their non conference schedule with a home date against the Martlets, and fell behind early while struggling to find their range, shooting just 33 per cent as a team in the first half. Keyed by a star turn from Hanaka in the fourth quarter which saw her hit all four three-pointers she attempted, McMaster closed to within eight points but could get no closer.

Hanaka led the Marauders with 20 points on the day, while Kiss-Rusk paced the Martlets with 21. Crucially, McGill out-rebounded by a wide margin, pulling down 44 boards to McMaster’s 21.

HISTORY AT NATIONALS:

This week’s tournament marks McMaster’s 10th appearance at the national championship, with the last coming in 2010, when the Marauders hosted at Burridge Gym. Without a national title to their name, the Marauders best finish at the event is bronze, which they achieved in 2008 and 1990.