KINGSTON, Ont. – In a thrilling matchup at the Queen's Athletics and Recreaton Centre on Friday night, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team was narrowly edged out by the Queen's Gaels, 77-75.

The game was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, with five lead changes. TMU stormed out of the gates with an 18-12 first-quarter lead, thanks to sharp shooting from Aaron Rhooms, who went on to deliver a stellar performance with 28 points, including five three-pointers and perfect free-throw shooting (5-for-5).

Queen's responded in the second quarter, outscoring TMU 17-12 to close the gap to just one point at halftime. 

The Bold regained momentum in the third quarter, pouring in 25 points behind Rhooms' continued dominance and Kevin Toth's six points. TMU took a slim two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, Queen's rallied with clutch plays including the game-winning jumper with just two seconds left. Despite a valiant effort, including a late three-pointer from Rhooms to tie the game at 73, TMU couldn't seal the deal as Queen's converted critical free throws down the stretch.

TMU's bench contributed 21 points, highlighted by Jahcobi Neath's 12 points and six rebounds. However, turnovers plagued the Bold, with 27 giveaways leading to 23 points for Queen's.

The loss leaves TMU at 9-6 on the season, while Queen's improves to 14-1. TMU will look to rebound on Saturday, Jan. 25 when they battle the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in Oshawa. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. and can be viewed on OUA.tv.