TORONTO — The nationally-ranked No. 3  Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team defeated the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday evening, 96-52.

The dominant win marks the team's 10th in a row, capping off a fantastic undefeated first semester of the 2025-26 season. 

"Our first goal is to win our division," explained Bold Head Coach Carly Clarke, "that secures a bye in the first round. It's really about continuing to get better for later in the season."

TMU came out firing to start the first quarter: they forced the Lakers into long possessions and low-quality takes at the end of the shot clock, pushing quickly in transition for easy baskets.

Guard Myriam Kone was unstoppable in the period, outscoring Nipissing's entire team with 11 points. Guard Catrina Garvey added in two three-pointers of her own in the time frame.

Kone, a fifth-year transfer from the University of Calgary, has provided the Bold with the star power that every championship contending team needs. After losing last year's sixth-leading scorer in the province, Kaillie Hall, over the summer due to graduation, Kone has filled in the role beautifully.

"Myriam is an incredible player…she's really helped us," praised Clarke, "she has incredible scoring ability."

She finished  the game with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds, making a massive impact on the win. 

"My teammates were feeding me," Kone humbly explained after the win, "we came out here really confident. It's the last game of the semester, so we came out here wanting to win it all."

She and her teammates continued to dominate, and by the end of the first quarter, TMU had already amassed a 30-8 lead.

The Bold maintained their aggression in the second quarter, using their defensive presence to extend their lead. Guard Kait Nichols helped set the tone for the squad at the point of attack, logging a team-high five steals and a tied-for-team-high three blocks in the game. 

"She's our leader in pretty much every way," praised Clarke, "she's filling up every stat category. Her ability to impact the game shows up a little bit less in scoring, but she does it all for us."

"In practice, [Coach Clarke] very much emphasizes one-on-one defence, being in gaps, and supporting each other on the court," explained Nichols, "it's nailed into us, so when we step on the court, that's our mentality…once we're able to get stops and it translated to our offence, the game flows easier for us."

Nichols has been a fantastic all-around asset for the Bold this season, providing whatever Coach Clarke asks of her on the court. To go along with her defensive stats, she amassed 12 points, eight rebounds (four offensive), and seven assists.

Thanks to Nichols' play and the team's defence, TMU led 55-21 at halftime. Kone entered the half with 20 points.

That score gap would only grow as the third quarter progressed. Nichols made her presence felt in the frame, logging eight of her points and three of her steals to help further demoralize the Bold's opponents.

The quarter finished with TMU having grown their lead to 83-38.

The Lakers were able to turn things around and played their best basketball in the fourth, outscoring the Bold 14-13. Extra defensive pressure in the backcourt forced TMU into some turnovers, but it wasn't enough to make a noticeable dent in the massive score gap.

As the final buzzer sounded, TMU led 96-52. Those 96 points are the most that Clarke's squad has put up all season, breaking their previous game's record of 91. 

The squad now has over a month's rest for Christmas break before their next chance to break that record. They take on the Laurier Golden Hawks at home on January 7. 

Clarke has a unique philosophy for optimizing the team's rest period:

"We've got to win December. The second half of the season comes really fast, so definitely some rest and recovery but also some work to make sure we're ready to ramp back up when we start again in the New Year."

Tip-off for the first game back is set for 6 p.m., and students can enter for free with their OneCard.