Hamilton, ON- McMaster Marauders head coach Patrick Tatham felt it early on in their home game against the Toronto Metropolitan Bold on Nov. 22. 

Things had been going well for the Marauders men’s basketball team. They had won three games in a row – including most recently against the ranked Western Mustangs. They were feeling pretty good about themselves. Then the TMU game tipped off…

The Bold went out to an early 11-5 lead. They led 47-44 at halftime and won 81-68 when the final whistle sounded. They won without their leading scorer David Walker. 

So, what did Tatham see and feel?

“There was no real fight today,” he said. “I feel like our guys were kind of happy at the fact that we win three in a row.”  

He saw it in their sharpness and cuts, their communication, their rebounding and physicality. McMaster lost the rebounding battle 38-25, including 13 to 10 on the offensive glass. “We got to rebound,” Tatham said. 

How does that feel like on the court? It’s hard to explain, guard Elijah Bethune said. They had some good spots but were also flat at times. “Not everyone was on the same page,” he noted.

In the previous wins, Bethune noticed how everyone had high energy levels. In this game, he sensed how some had high energy levels while others had low ones. 

Despite all that, the Marauders had balanced scoring with Mike Demagus (15 points), Ay Osunde (13), Nathan Charles (11) and Moody Qasim (11) all finishing in double figures. But it wasn’t enough. 

Perhaps they needed that secondary scoring punch, as Tatham pointed out. Perhaps it’s the depth of contributions as well. TMU outscored McMaster 31-13 in bench points. 

Despite all that, they cut the deficit down multiple times. They were in striking distance several times with a chance to take the lead…

“We just couldn’t get over that hump,” Bethune said. He knew they needed to match or surpass the energy of their opponents. They would make their runs but couldn’t find the energy to get them over the top. 

The first-year guard from Toronto finds his energy from being off the ball. He finds it by being a pest defensively – looking for steals, deflections and anything to make it difficult for the other team. 

“I just kind of focus on the little things that can make a big impact,” he said. 

How do the Marauders find their energy and fight going forward? 

From watching film, according to Tatham. He knows they can’t do too much in practice to be super physical – needing to preserve their bodies for the games. Instead, he’ll point out what looks good and what doesn’t through film. 

They can find it through their words, actions and mentality as well. They’ll need to with games against the Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees to close out the first half of the season. 

Next up is a road game against the Badgers. Bethune knows what his mindset will be. He knows what their mindset needs to be. 

“We’ve got to come into that game thinking we’ve got nothing to lose,” he said. “Come out swinging.” 

They’re 4-3 – third in the OUA Central – he points out. They’ve got to play like it’s all or nothing. Bethune knows they’ll have to have good and intense practices before then. They’ll have to be on the same pagebefore the game tips off. 

Tatham already knows what his pregame speech will be. Perhaps he can envision it already, being in the locker room of the Meridian Centre – the one game a year Brock plays there. The energy from the crowd should already be there. Will his team’s energy and fight be there as well? 

He’ll tell his team about how Brock is a physical and defensive-minded team. “Either you’re physical when you step on the court or you’re not,” he’ll tell them. “If you’re not physical at all, this will be a bad battle.” 

Featured Image: Kevin Lassel/McMaster Athletics