HAMILTON, ONT -- Alex Kiss-Rusk registered her first "double-double" of the season as the defending national champion McGill women's basketball team waltzed to a 70-59 victory over McMaster in a preseason game on Sunday afternoon at the Burridge Gym.

It was the third straight preseason victory for the Martlets, who improved the win streak against Canadian university opponents to 10, including their final seven games last season. It also marked the first meeting between these teams since a 65-55 McGill victory in Quebec City on Dec. 28, 2015. In that game, Kiss-Rusk also had a double-double.

The Martlets, who never trailed, led 18-10 after the first quarter, 37-28 at the intermission and 56-39 after three.  McGill dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Marauders 44-21.

Kiss-Rusk, a 6-foot-4 centre who spent the summer playing with Canada's national development team, was suiting up for only the third time with the Martlets this semester. She scored 21 points and pulled down a dozen rebounds in 37 minutes of court-time. The psychology senior shot 10-for-13 from the floor and was 1-for-1 from the free-throw line.

She was one of four Martlets to rech double digits in scoring, along with Gladys Hakizimana (14), Frederique Potvin (11) and Marie-Love Michel (11).

Top scorer for the Marauders was Hilary Hanaka, who finished with 20, while her sister Julia dropped 16 and Linnaea Harper chipped in 13.

McGill shot an impressive 54.7 per cent from the field (29/53), went-5-for-29 from three-point range and 7-for-9 from the line. The Marauders, who attempted unsuccessfully, to beat McGill from long range,
connecting on just 20 of 60 attempts from the floor, including 10 of 50 attempts from downtown. They were 9-for-12 from the charity stripe.

The only part of McGill's game that McMaster had the upper hand was in the turnover department, where the host team had a favourable 22-12 advantage.

McMaster will next play at the Ryerson Darcel Wright Memorial Tournament October 20-22, and the OUA regular season starts on Wednesday, October 25 when the Marauders host the Guelph Gryphons.
 
McGill, which now has a 4-1 record including a 1-1 mark against NCAA teams, will host their annual McGill Redbird Classic tourney, Oct. 20-22, where they are slated to play St. FX (6 pm), Toronto (5 pm) and Queen's (2 pm), respectively.

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
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