TORONTO – A clinical defence showing and a pair of 22-point performances from Aaron Rhooms and Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow helped secure No. 5 Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball squad an 85-72 victory over No. 6 Carleton on Saturday in a high-profile matchup at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The win marks TMU's first over a nationally-ranked opponent this season and effectively turns away any lingering doubts surrounding the team's position as a serious championship contender in the OUA.
Head coach of the Bold, David DeAveiro, was pleased with the way his side handled the versatile Ravens on Saturday and believes the outcome is just another testament to the identity his team had already started to create in the fall.
"[Tonight's win] proves we can play with the best teams in the country," said DeAviero. "Can we get better from here? I really believe we can and our kids now see that's what's capable," he added.
As expected, the Bold found themselves in a tight battle with the 2023 National Champions throughout the first half.
Carleton–who came into Saturday's nationally-ranked showdown third in the province in 3pt percentage–generated over 60 percent of their points heading into halftime from beyond the arc to stay in limbo with the Bold, who held a three point lead at the break.
Nearly every attacking possession in which the Bold pieced together over the course of the first two quarters was matched at the other end of the court with a Ravens longball from beyond the arc, making TMU's plans of distancing themselves from their opponent an uphill battle.
Emanuel Milton was able to successfully convert on a three-point attempt on the Ravens first possession of the third quarter to tie the game up at 47. At the other end, TMU struggled to get any offense of their own to stick and blanked on their first three attempts from beyond the arc after going 8-13 from the same spot.
Fortunately for the Bold, the Ravens caught a snag of their own midway through the third quarter and were unable to convert on their next seven three-point attempts, a massive problem for the visitors as their biggest threat began losing its ammunition.
"I think our energy and defense kind of wore [Carleton] down. They missed some shots that they normally would make," commented DeAveiro.
Stuck in neutral and smelling blood in the water, Rhooms and Gilgeous-Glasgow took full advantage of their opponent's funk and initiated a timely 8-0 run for the Bold that proved to be their longest and most pivotal stretch of the night.
"We executed down the line and played defence. The scoreboard says that," mentioned Gilgeous-Glasgow.
The momentum vaulted TMU into an eight-point lead that grew to 11 at the start of the fourth quarter as the Ravens continued to slide with a 2-18 showing from the field. It wasn't long after until TMU slammed the door shut on any hopes of a comeback for the Ravens, converting on 14 of 17 free throws in the final frame to extinguish the Ottawa side.
Impressively, the Bold failed to even let the Ravens crawl within eight points of their lead, a dominant showing to emphasize how TMU has rounded out their game to become a powerhouse this season.
The group will quickly turn around to face another imposing test as they get set to host the 8-3 Brock Badgers on Sunday. First serve flies from the MAC at 6 p.m. and students can attend the game for free with their OneCard.
