[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/cis-bronze.jpg” caption=”The McMaster Marauders won their second CIS bronze medal on March 9. Photo courtesy of McMaster Marauder Athletics. “]A day after taking the #2 seeded UBC Thunderbirds to the brink in the national semi-final, the #3 McMaster Marauders secured their second CIS bronze medal finish in school history with a 83 to 79 defeat of the #8 Laval Rouge on March 9 in Saskatoon, SK.

Coming out of a time out with 31 seconds left in the contest and the score tied at 79, McMaster's Taylor Smith fed Lindsay DeGroot cutting across the key who backed down Laval's Annick Routhier-Labadie and went up strong for the bucket and the foul, giving the Marauders a two-point lead. The Rouge et Or were unable to answer back and the Marauders held on to win.

“We knew they were going to be there right to the end,” DeGroot said of Laval's ability to battle back after trailing late in the game. “But I got a great screen and they gave me my right hand, so I knew I was either getting the basket or going to the foul line.”

The entire game was close as no team led by more than six points until the fourth quarter. But momentum seemed to be shifting toward McMaster late in the third when they began to get the ball inside to Chiara Rocca who was deadly in the paint. Laval kept on the Marauders' heals, trailing only 61 to 57 at three quarter time.

The Marauders' momentum carried over into the fourth quarter as they scored a quick four points right off the bat to extend their lead to nine. Trailing by 10 points the majority of the fourth quarter, Laval began to chip away at the McMaster lead after Karine Bibeau downed a three-pointer with 4:22 left in the game.

The Rouge et Or were on the comeback, and with just over one minute to play in the fourth, Genevieve Blanchette hit a wide open three-point shot to tie the game at 78. Then, with 43.1 seconds left, Blanchette found Myriam Lamarre down low in the paint, but she was fouled and forced to the line. Lamarre was only good on one free-throw and Laval took a late 79 to 78 lead.

After DeGroot hit her game-tying jumper and a free throw, Laval had one last chance to tie the game as they gained possession with 31 seconds on the clock down 81 to 79. Blanchette drove backcourt and put up the tying shot, but it was no good and McMaster's Rachel Hart snagged the board.

Seniors DeGroot, Hart and Chiara Rocca combined for 60 points. DeGroot was the top scorer with 25 points followed by Hart with 21. Hart was named to the tournament all-star team.