The McMaster women's basketball team will head into the OUA playoffs feeling good, after a 78-43 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton.

Still dressing only eight players due to various injury woes, McMaster matched up with an Algoma squad in even more dire straits, as the Thunderbirds had only six healthy bodies in uniform.

Algoma scored the first hoop of the game, but the rest of the contest was pretty much controlled by the Marauders.  Rookie guard Hilary Hanaka had her shooting eye in focus in the first quarter, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc as McMaster grabbed a 24-11 lead after 10 minutes.

The second quarter saw Danielle Boiago heat up and she knocked down two treys as the Maroon lead kept growing.  Algoma called timeout after Mac had doubled up on the T-Birds 36-18.  The margin at halftime stayed at 18 with McMaster in control 39-21.

Boiago knocked down two more three-pointers in the third quarter, and tied her own McMaster single season record of 44 treys in OUA competition.   After 30 minutes the Marauders were comfortably in front 64-32.

Facing such a depleted opponent, McMaster coach Theresa Burns gave lots of playing time to all eight of her players, and every Marauder in uniform was able to hit the scoresheet.

McMaster had all five starters in double figures, led by Boiago with 20, Hanaka with 15, Rachael Holmes with 13, Siobhan Manning with 12 and Ally Schweitzer with 10.  Top shooter for Algoma was Laura Meadows with 16.
 
After the game McMaster honoured graduating senior Isabel Ormond, who despite missing the entire season due to injury, has been a tremendous leader on the Marauder squad.

McMaster finished OUA play with a 15 and 4 record, but will not know its playoff seed until all the RPI results are calculated on the completion of all league games.   The Marauders will be at home to open the playoffs, with date and opponent to be determined.