Posted on March 8: McMaster wins thriller over Brock in OUA west division men’s basketball final

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/DNbbcelebration.jpg” caption=”Players celebrate after their victory”]

In front of a frenzied sellout crowd of 2400 at the Burridge Gymnasium on the
McMaster University campus, the nationally sixth ranked McMaster Marauders defeated
the seventh ranked Brock University Badgers, 78-71, in the Ontario University
Athletics (OUA) West Division Championship Game.

OUA West Player of the Year, Adam Guiney from McMaster was sidelined early
with foul trouble. The team's scoring was picked up by juniors Rob Scully and
Ben Katz. Scully, the Wilson Sports Player of the Game, led the Marauders on
the day with 21 pts on 6 of 12 shooting (50%) including 5 of 7 (71.4 %) beyond
the three-point arc. Scully was also a perfect four of four from the free throw
line. OUA West First Team All-Star, Katz added 20 points, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Brock University was led by third year forward and OUA West First Team All-Star,
Kevin Steinstra . Steinstra was unstoppable in the first half scoring 19 pts
on his way to a game high 27 points along with nine rebounds, and two blocked
shots. OUA West Second Team All-Star, Brad Rootes came alive in the second half
on his way to a 17-point performance. First year guard, Scott Murray) tallied
11 points on three of four (75%) shooting from three-point range.

The Marauders opened the game on fire, feeding off the home crowds enthusiasm
to take a 9-1 lead at the 18:11 mark. The Badgers responded closing the gap
to 12-11 on a Morgan Fairweather jumper at 15:37. The Marauders continued to
lead most of the half until a jumper by Brock's Rohan Steen with 30 seconds
left in the half gave the Badgers a 39-38 lead heading into the locker room.

Brock capitalized on the momentum they generated heading into half time by
opening the second half with a 10-0 run. McMaster didn't score until 17:25 left
in the second, when John Obrovac hit a three-pointer reducing Brock's lead to
8 points (49-41). The Badgers increased their lead to 14 at one point and it
looked like they might pull away to victory. Not to be denied, McMaster's Scully
hit back-to-back three pointers including an off balance bomb from long range
with 10:51 remaining to cut the Brock lead to just seven. The teams continued
to exchange buckets and down by 10 points McMaster's Katz hit two straight threes
of his own to reduce the margin to four (64-60). Scully followed Katz with his
fifth three of the day to put the Marauders within 1 (64-63) with 4:55 play.
McMaster took the lead 44 seconds later when Guiney followed his own miss to
score. The Marauders made five of six free throws down the stretch to secure
the OUA West Division Title for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

With the win, McMaster advances to the Ontario University Athletics Championship
Game that will be played at Carleton Saturday, March 13, 2004.