Box Score
The McMaster Marauders defeated the Guelph Gryphons 82-74 tonight in Hamilton. The Gryphons fall to 8-7 while the Marauders advance to 10-5 in regular season action.

Guelph had the lead at the half 43-35 but the Marauders outscored the Gryphons down the stretch, including a 31-21 fourth quarter surge.  The Gryphons were also out-rebounded 43-28.
 
Kareem Malcolm (Brapmton, Ont.) led the Gryphons with 27 points while Dan McCarthy (Guelph, Ont.) and Michel Clarke (Burlington, Ont.) chipeed in with 15 and 11 points respectively.
 
Both teams scored early in the game, trading leads and baskets and would be tied at 8. Guelph would take the first significant lead of the game at 14-9, shutting out McMaster on the offensive. But the Marauders would battle back and the first would end with the home team up by one at 21-20.  

In the second, back-to-back lay-ups from McMaster would give them the slight three points lead thanks to Satar Wahidi and Adam Presutti at 27-24. That lead wouldn't last for long though as Guelph's 4-0 run would give them the lead back thanks to baskets by McCarthy and Malcolm.  Aggressive play on offence from the Marauders would keep the game close, until the Gryphons went up by five points at 36-31, forcing McMaster to call a timeout with 3:30 to go. Poor rebounding from the Marauders would extend Guelph's lead to 8 and the half would end 43-35 in favour of the Gryphons. 

The first double digit lead of the game occurred near the beginning of the third with the Gryphons up 47-37. It would be later in the quarter that the Marauders would come alive with baskets from Victor Raso and Nathan Pelech. It would turn into a 8-0 run for McMaster as foul shots got the Marauders within three. The end of the half would have the Marauders down by just two points at 53-51 with ten minutes to go in the game.

In the fourth, it would be Presutti that would tie it at 53 and another basket from the rookie would put McMaster up by two. Soon after, the Marauders would see their lead grow even larger at 60-54. McMaster would be able to maintain that lead throughout the quarter, but not without the Gryphons at their heels. Guelph tied that score up at 63 after three pointers from McCarthy and Malcolm, but the Marauders would keep pushing, allowing a number of players to contribute in the last three minutes of the game. McMaster would go on to win it 82-74. 

McMaster's Big Mac Player of the Game was Adam Presutti. For the Gryphons, Kareen Malcolm was named Big Mac Player of the Game. 

The Gryphons are back at home this Saturday (Jan. 28), hosting the Brock Badgers at the Mitchell Centre with a 3:00 p.m. tip off. If you can't make the game, watch the LIVE Gryphons webcast at www.ssncanada.ca

- With Files from McMaster -