TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team continued their winning ways, as they recorded their sixth victory in their last seven games with a 71-70 win over the York Lions on Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
With the Bold trailing by three, Tiya Misir spotted Rachel Farwell alone in the corner, and from there, Farwell did the rest. She tied the game with just 51 seconds remaining on a signature moment for the Rothesay, N.B. product. From there, a trio of free throws — including two from Jayme Foreman — helped TMU take the lead. A York field goal attempt in the final seconds for a go-ahead bucket off a baseline inbound was unsuccessful.
After a dominant 32-point, five-rebound performance in Wednesday's win over the previously undefeated No. 6Â Guelph Gryphons, Farwell made an impact once again on Saturday. Her three-pointer proved to be monumental, as it ended a 6-0 York run which lasted over three minutes, and shifted the momentum of the game completely.
"That's what you need from your best player and your fifth-year player, right? We put her in positions in the big moments — sometimes they fall and sometimes they don't, but she's willing to take it. She was ready for it. Big shot," said head coach Carly Clarke, when asked about the Farwell make.
"I honestly was a little irritated because I missed two shots leading up to that — two relatively easy ones. When Carly drew up that play — we knew there were a few options and I knew I was one of them to shoot that three. Tiya made a great pass — right on the money. That's a moment where you just have to exhale and trust your muscle memory. I got a bit of a shooter's bounce, which I'll happily take," said Farwell, who agreed the make looked a little Kawhi Leonard-esque, circa the Toronto Raptors run to the 2019 NBA Championship.
The defending national champions began the season with four-straight losses, but the Bold's 6-1 record in their last seven has moved the team to 6-5 and into second in the OUA Central.
"I think we're figuring out who we are as a team. People are becoming more and more comfortable in their roles and knowing what's expected of them. Our lineup has changed a little bit and we're just continuing to adapt. But I think we're gaining confidence in what we're trying to do," said Clarke. "At the start of this season, every single player was in a new role from last year. So there's just so much room to grow."
 "I think it's great that we're on this roll," said Foreman. "We wanted to win December and get better in the month more than any other team. I think that's what we're showing that we've done in January. It feels really good, honestly."
TMU pulled away from York late in the first-half. The Bold outscored the Lions 10-2 in the final 1:28 of the second-quarter, to give them an 11-point lead heading into halftime. Haley Fedick was at the forefront of the TMU run, scoring six of the 10 points — including a buzzer-beating triple to give her 11 on the afternoon through two quarters.
However, despite the sizable halftime advantage, the Lions were able to outscore the Bold in third-quarter 19-14 setting the stage for the back-and-forth ending to the respective team's second game of the 2023 calendar year.
Pulling out wins in close games has been an issue for the Bold this season, with the team losing each of their first four games by ten or fewer points. This afternoon was the team's first victory by nine or less points.
"I thought that was a really big win — in that way," said Clarke. "We were leading all game, then got down late and we kept our composure. I think it was really great — it demonstrates that growth we've had from a composure perspective and just managing fatigue and all those different pieces.Â
"This was definitely a big character win for us," said Farwell. "Feeling what it's like to be on the winning side of a game like this is a huge personal development moment for everybody. Knowing what it takes to stay in it and be successful is an experience you can only gain through going through it."
"I think this will really help us moving forward when we end up in this situation again — knowing that we can do it. "
Haley Fedick, Foreman and Misir all had 16 points for the Bold. Fedick and Foreman were each sharp from downtown, combining to hit seven of their nine three-point attempts. Fedick recorded the double-double with 11 rebounds. Misir had a team-high seven assists.
The victory also marked three-straight victories for the Bold over their York Lions, with their last loss to the crosstown rival coming on Nov. 16, 2019.
"Absolutely," said Farwell, when asked about if games against their York and Toronto mean more to the team. "We always talk about trying to win the Greater Toronto Area games."
On the opposite side of the court, York fell to 5-6 with the loss.
The Bold are back in action in a weeks time, when they'll travel to Waterloo for a meeting with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, who at press time hold a 4-7 record. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.Â
