TORONTO – The No. 9 ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team fell short against the Western Mustangs 55-52. The Bold produced a solid defensive performance despite the loss.

"We just struggled to make shots tonight, defensively we did a really good job," said Coach Carly Clarke reflecting on the game.

TMU's Hailey Franco-DeRyck had a career performance with 18 rebounds, the second most all-time by a TMU player. She additionally had 11 points, four blocks and three steals, for a well-rounded performance. 

The Bold had a bit of a rocky start to the game, allowing Western to get ahead by six points. Finding the right footing, the Bold began to creep up on the Mustangs.

Kaillie Hall executed her shooting opportunities, with 12 points for the game. Additionally, TMU's Lauryn Meek took to the rim under the net, finding shot opportunities. The Bold closed the first quarter with the lead, 19-15.

In the second, both teams struggled to drop points, resulting in a low-scoring quarter. Franco-DeRyck held her ground under the net, grabbing 12 rebounds in the first half.

Finishing off the first half, Kait Nichols executed a key scoring play to send the Bold into halftime with a one-point lead, 26-25.

The Bold began the second half strong, putting in efforts offensively while maintaining their defensive push. The third quarter was tight with both teams fighting to claim the lead. Hall was able to tie up the game late in the third, making the game 40-40.

The fourth quarter continued to be a back-and-forth battle. With the Bold's offensive play maintaining its struggles, Western crept up and claimed the win, 55-52.

Wanting to build from the loss and improve, Franco-DeRyck said, "We talked as a team about challenging each other more in practice and playing more like a game in practice. We don't want to learn in the game, we want to learn before the game."

Looking toward their next game, Coach Clarke hopes to regain their offensive flow.

"Just continuing to try and sort ourselves out offensively and figure out where we can find some good flow and rhythm," said Coach Clarke.

The Bold play at home once again on Saturday, Nov. 16 against the Windsor Lancers. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets or catch all the action on OUA.tv. Students get in free to all TMU home games with their OneCard.