NO.9 MCMASTER FOCUSED FOR WESTERN MATCH-UP
With less than one month to play in the regular season, Mac sits atop the OUA West division, however Guelph (9-3), Brock (9-4) and Waterloo (9-5) all remain within striking distance of the Marauders.
Mac has the most experienced team in the OUA this season, with their top six players in scoring all being fourth- or fifth-year seniors. 6'7\" fourth-year forward Adam Steiner -- an OUA West 2nd-team all-star last season -- is looking to build on 2005 and and first team all-star honours this year. The Dundas, ON native plays almost 33 minutes per game, while averaging 15.3 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Last year's inaugural recipient of the OUA West Defensive Player of the Year honours, Martin Ajayi, is continuing to disrupt opposing offences with his voracious, on-the-ball defensive play. The 5'8\" fourth-year guard from Hamilton is averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals in 24.5 minutes of action per game.
After suffering a torn knee ligament and missing all of last season, 6'2\" swingman Ben Katz has returned to the form that saw him named an OUA West first team all-star in 2003-2004. Katz is averaging 13 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 30.9 minutes per game.
The remaining contributors from Mac's \"Sweet Six\" include fifth-year guard Rob Scully (averaging 8.3 points per game and leading the team in points per minute); fourth-year forward John Obrovac (averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 49% from the field); and fourth-year point guard Justin Gunter (leading the team with 3.5 assists per game).
Not surprisingly, the team leads the province in scoring, averaging 79.1 points per game, and leads the OUA West with a +8.3 average point differential per game. Their achilles heel remains their defence, especially on the perimeter. The team ranks 10th in the OUA in points allowed (70.8) and opponent field goal percentage (44.i per cent), while ranking last in opponent three-point field goal percentage (39.0 per cent).
Western lies in the basement of the OUA, however the team is only four points behind Laurier for the sixth and final playoff spot, and the Mustangs are coming off their biggest win of the season on Wednesday night as they defeated the eighth-ranked Brock Badgers 81-75 in overtime. Second-year forward Brad Smith led the team with 20 points and seven rebounds in the upset win, while the team had only six turnovers in 45 minutes of action.
There is a definite \"Hamilton connection\" down the 403 in London as three local high school products are currently significant contributors for head coach Craig Boydell's Mustangs.
Matt Curtis, a second-year guard out of St. Thomas More (also the alma mater of Mac cagers Obrovac and Ajayi), was the OUA West Rookie of the Year in 2004-2005, and has continued his strong play this season. Curtis is averaging nearly 37 minutes per game and leads the OUA in assists per game (6.2), and ranks second in the OUA and CIS in steals per game (3.2). He also averages 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
James Harrison, a 6'4\" second-year guard from Cathedral (where young Marauders Joe Polizzi and Brandon Lukasik played their high school ball), is averaging 8.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 24.3 minutes of action per game for the 'Stangs. Meanwhile, 6'7\" third-year post Adam Ruickbie from Hillfield Strathallan averages 5.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game.
Mac head coach Joe Raso was very detailed in game preparation with his players this week, in hopes that they would not look past the \"trap game\" with Western ahead of important tilts with Guelph (Jan. 25) and Brock (Jan.
28) next week.
Coverage of Saturday's game can be heard on 93.3 FM CFMU or on the internet at hppt://cfmu.mcmaster.ca
(Source: Chris Black, McMaster Sports Information)