Box Score The Warriors push for the playoffs took a blow on Saturday when they fell to the McMaster Marauders 81-56 on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton. 

The Marauders used a balanced attack and some stifling defense to subdue Waterloo. The win was the fifth straight for McMaster to improve their record to 12-7 while Waterloo dropped to 4-15 and sit two points behind Guelph for the sixth and final playoff spot.

Boasting a size advantage over the Warriors, McMaster looked to go inside early in the game and that strategy worked out as Mac jumped into a 23-12 lead before Waterloo made two late buckets to close the gap to 23-17.

McMaster built the lead up to 35-17, and it wasn't until there was 1:40 left in the second quarter that Waterloo scored its first points. The Marauders went over eight minutes off the game clock without allowing a score. Waterloo's Jaspreet Gill (Oliver/) made two late three's to get back some, but at halftime the Maroon held a 40-26 advantage.

Coming out for the third quarter, the Marauders went on another scoring run behind the play of Joe Rocca, who scored the first nine points of the period to boost the lead up to 23. The Marauders kept the pressure on and by the end of the third, the lead had grown to 66-38.

Able to use the bench in the final stanza, McMaster spread the ball around and got solid production across the roster. With all 12 players seeing court time, the Marauders brought home the 25-point win.

Joe Rocca led all scorers with 17 points and 10 rebounds for his second straight double-double effort.   Waterloo was led by Jaspreet Gill (Oliver/) and Wayne Bridge (North York/Eastern Commerce), who each scored 14 in a losing effort.

Waterloo will face the Brock Badgers on Wednesday before closing out their season in Guelph on Saturday in what could be a battle for the final playoff spot.