THUNDER BAY, Ont. - The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold were unable to maintain their hot start, as the Lakehead Thunderwolves used a fourth-quarter push to engineer a 77-71 win on Friday night.

Despite hopping out to what was, at one point, a 19-1 lead in the first-quarter, the Bold were unable to come away with the win. The Thunderwolves were able to weather the storm and eventually began to chip away at the deficit. The tide started to turn in the third-quarter, before Lakehead eventually outscored TMU 47-27 in the second half — a margin too large for the Bold to overcome.

After being left out of the most recent U SPORTS Top 10, Lakehead moved to 14-3 with the win, while TMU fell to 10-7. 

The loss marks a trend of .500 basketball for the team over its last six games, with the Bold unable to mark consecutive wins since Jan. 14.

Ankit Choudhary and David Walker led the way for the Bold with 18 points apiece. Nine of Choudhry's 18 came in the first-quarter, as the third-year guard led the way for the Bold in the opening stretches.

But with the game on the line, the Bold went 1-6 from long range in the final quarter. A jumper from Choudhary with just 1:23 remaining in the fourth gave the Bold a two-point lead — a bucket that would go down as their final of the evening. Lakehead went on an 8-0 run to close the contest, as a potential game-tying three-pointer from Simon Chamberlain fell no good. 

From there, free throws iced the win for the Thunderwolves.

With just five games remaining in the 2022-23 regular-season, TMU will look to bounce back in short action. They're back in action for the second-half of the back-to-back tomorrow night in Thunder Bay.