HAMILTON, Ont - A late surge wasn't enough for the Laurier Golden Hawks on Tuesday night, as they fell 68-66 to the McMaster Marauders at Burridge Gym on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Trailing by as many as 19 points in the first half, Laurier chipped away steadily and turned the game into a one-possession battle in the final seconds before coming up just short.
McMaster controlled the early tempo, shooting 45 per cent in the opening quarter and knocking down three triples to build a 23-13 lead. The Marauders extended their advantage in the second, stretching the margin to double digits and carried a 43-31 lead into halftime.
Laurier struggled to find a rhythm offensively early, shooting 36.8 per cent in the second quarter and going scoreless from the free-throw line through the first half.
The Golden Hawks flipped the script after the break though.
Laurier delivered its most efficient stretch in the third quarter, shooting 56.3 per cent from the floor and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc to outscore McMaster 22-16. Brittyn Graves sparked the push with timely perimeter shooting, finishing with 10 points, three assists and two steals, as Laurier cut the deficit to 59-53 heading into the fourth.
Kayleigh Rawson provided a lift as well, knocking down three three-pointers and scoring 13 points in 26 minutes.
The fourth quarter tightened into a defensive grind. Both teams shot under 25 per cent from the field in the frame, with Laurier going 0-for-9 from three but staying within striking distance at the free-throw line.
Kate White helped lead the comeback effort with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Keira Aikman controlled the glass with a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with 12 points for her second double-double of the season.
Isabella Cotton added eight boards and four assists as Laurier held a 39-33 edge on the defensive glass.
White came up with a steal and finish at the rim to cut the deficit to two with 11 seconds remaining, then scored again moments later to make it a one-point game. After a timeout, McMaster's Teja McCormick split a pair at the line with four seconds left to make it 68-66.
Laurier called timeout but couldn't convert on its final possession.
Despite shooting 38.8 per cent overall and committing 18 turnovers that led to 21 McMaster points, the Golden Hawks stayed within reach by limiting the Marauders to 33.3 per cent shooting and winning the third quarter decisively.
Emily Frankovic led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds for McMaster, while the Marauders' bench contributed 34 points.
Laurier (4-15) will look to build on its second-half momentum when it returns home to host the Toronto Varsity Blues (5-13) on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
Tickets are available at tickets.laurierathletics.com and the game will be streamed live on OUA.tv
