Hamilton, ON- As their game against the Windsor Lancers come down to the final minutes and then seconds, Moody Qasim sensed it.

He sensed the unity and energy among him and his McMaster Marauder teammates. “Deep down, we dived in, took over the game down the stretch,” Qasim said. “Ultimately, that gave us the win.” 

The Marauders men’s basketball team pulled out a close win over those Lancers on Nov. 17. They did so again the following evening against the Western Mustangs. They adjusted as the games went along. 

Against Windsor, head coach Patrick Tatham felt they defended the three-pointer and rebounded better in the second half. Against Western, he felt that they attacked the rim more after settling for too many three-pointers of their own. 

There was another feeling though. The feeling Qasim had down the stretch. The one that’s propelled the Marauders to a three-game winning streak. 

Go back a few months earlier. It all started in the summer, when this year’s McMaster Marauders squad started off together. 

They knew it was a brand-new team – from the returning players to the transfers to the rookies. There were returning players Mike Demagus, Ay Osunde, Nathan Charles and others. There were OCAA transfers Parker Davis, Daniel Graham, Tyrelle Miller and Qasim. There were rookies Jeremiah Francis, Elijah Bethune and Riaz Saliu, Sebastien Di Manno and Matt Groe. 

They started by introducing themselves to each other. Day over day, week over week, month over month, they got to know each other better.

Yes, the players would practice together but Qasim noticed how guys would stick around after practice to shoot around and talk. They would spend time outside the court as well. 

“Actually get to know a person,” Qasim said. The former Sheridan Bruin forward found he could hang out with his teammates and talk with them about anything – their positive things and their struggles. He could laugh with them as well. 

Graham found there are more laughs and jokes among them every day. He found them getting closer and closer together. 

Qasim called it a brotherhood. He’s felt the camaraderie between them. They like going out as a group – including around campus. 

They would watch a lot of basketball together, go out to eat together and go to shoot whenever they have free time, Demagus pointed out. A lot of them live together. “We’re more than just basketball players,” he added. “We’re brothers, we’re teammates.” 

That unity carries itself onto the hardwood as well. 

“It creates a bond for us knowing that we’ve got each other’s back, we’re going to be there for each other,” Demagus added. “It just makes everything on the court smoother knowing that we’re all a collective, that we’re all friends and teammates.” 

Tatham saw his players spending time with each other and coming together. He said it’s gone better than he expected. 

Monday stands out. “A great day,” Tatham dubbed it. The players focus on watching film and team building before going to lift weights together. 

He knows how lifting weights multiple times a week together builds that camaraderie. He know their relationship building will translate into trusting each other on defence. He knows how they understand each other’s tendencies on offence. 

“I’m very happy with how it’s going,” Tatham said. “Now we just got to channel it and tap into more of the relationships that the guys are building.” 

One individual at the centre of all that bonding is Demagus. He’s McMaster’s lone fifth-year senior, their longest-tenured player. 

The Scarborough guard has been an OUA All-Star in the past and their leading scorer in the present. He led the team with 22 points and four steals against Windsor and 24 points and three blocks versus Western. 

Demagus’ reach extends beyond all that though. Tatham knows how he’s taken on a bigger role to inspire his teammates, to build the bonding vibe in the locker room. 

The head coach called him a catalyst in practices. He’s leading them – with the help of Osunde and Charles. 

Demagus knows he’s the most experienced player and how he has to share that experience with his teammates. “I just got to make sure I instill confidence in them knowing that knowing that we need them to play well,” he said. 

Ask questions. That’s what he tells them. People aren’t perfect. They make mistakes – including himself . It’s all about asking questions and learning. “If you ask questions, everything will be fine,” he said. 

One individual who’s asked those questions is Qasim. The Mississauga native experienced some hardships when he first made the jump to university basketball.

He soon discovered how university basketball was just as fast paced but more methodical as well. He discovered how the plays were way more advanced than he’s seen before. “You’re fast but poised and running specific actions,” he noted.

Qasim’s a worker though – not shy about putting in the hours to get better. So he went to work. He really gets deep down into watching film. He would pepper coaches with questions. “What can we do better here,” he would ask them. “What can I do better here.” 

“Really reading the game,” he said. “More than just playing it – understanding it.”

Basketball is like chess is his mind. If he knows what the defenders are going to do, then he can turn that into his advantage. 

Before their game against Windsor, he saw how the Lancers liked to chase the player they’re guarding during pick and rolls. During the game, he knew that as the Marauders got some good looks at the rim attacking off screens. Qasim himself finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. 

So, what does Qasim see when he watches Demagus? That calmness. “Never a nervous muscle in his body,” Qasim described. Regardless of the ups and downs, Demagus keeps on playing within the game, not worrying about the external factors. 

Qasim can relate to his teammate’s calmness being that way himself. He’s learned from Demagus’ ability to move onto the next play though. Qasim would still be thinking about the last play while Demagus has already moved on. 

It’s starting to rub off on him. During games, he’s reminded of that – he’ll be thinking about the previous play and then snap, his mind goes to the present. 

The present moment seems like a good one for the Marauders. The team is getting closer and closer and winning. Qasim and the others are learning. 

Graham pointed out how they’ve gotten better and better every game. They’ve done so with three wins in a row to move into a tie with the TMU Bold for first place in the OUA Central division. 

Their next game? At home against that Bold squad. Tatham said they’ve done very well so far this season. 

They still have to face three more tough opponents – Brock, Carleton and Ottawa – after that to close out the first half of the season.

However, they have one thing under their belt. Like they’ve done against Western and Windsor – and since the start of it all – they’ll go into it together. 

Featured Image: Kevin Lassel/McMaster Athletics