THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The No. 10 ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team came up short in a nail-biting affair at C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse on Friday, falling 89-85 to the Lakehead Thunderwolves. A back-and-forth contest with eight lead changes saw the Thunderwolves narrowly pull ahead in the final minute of the game to secure a critical win in the OUA Central standings.

Aaron Rhooms led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. He also contributed eight rebounds. Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow joined his teammate in double figures with 18 points and six assists. 

The Bold started the game strong, outscoring the Thunderwolves 29-25 in a high-scoring first quarter. However, Lakehead responded in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to one at halftime, with TMU leading 47-46. The third quarter was more of the same, with the two teams trading baskets and resulting in a 69-69 tie heading into the fourth. In the final quarter, the Bold took a one-point lead with 59 seconds remaining after an Aidan Wilson putback layup, but TMU failed to score again while Lakehead made a three-pointer and a couple of free throws to clinch the win. 

The Bold outshot the Thunderwolves, making 44.2 percent of their attempts from the field compared to the 41.8 percent from the hosts. TMU also won the turnover battle, committing only six while Lakehead coughed the ball up 11 times. 

The Bold fall to 9-4 while Lakehead improves to 11-2. The Thunderwolves remain in first place in the division standings while the Bold sit in third behind the Thunderwolves and the Brock Badgers. 

The two teams will square off once again on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8:00 p.m. Watch the contest on OUA.tv.