TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team secured a quarter-final win over the Brock Badgers, 72-53. The Bold will now advance to the OUA semi-finals, which will take place next week in Ottawa.

The tension in the Mattamy Athletic Centre was high, and the rivalry between the two teams was in full swing. Kaillie Hall got things started for the Bold, executing a nice three-point play. Brock then went on an offensive spurt, knocking down points. The Badger's defence was also strong, shaking up the Bold offensively. 

Wanting to reroute the game Coach Carly Clarke took a key timeout, helping the Bold find their rhythm on the court. 

"I think we just needed to gain some composure, Brock came out really ready and fired up, we expected that. We just needed to settle in, we were playing a little fast on offence and we got things under control," said Clarke.

Hailey Franco DeRyck and Kait Nichols battled for possession, taking control of the game. They both accumulated four rebounds in the first half.

Despite the Bold's newfound composure, the Badgers ended up taking the lead after the first quarter, 16-11.

The second quarter was when things started to click for the Bold. With collaborative offensive efforts driving toward the rim, Kaillie Hall and Callie Wright began to close the gap. 

Catrina Garvey then fed off the offensive spark and dropped some key shots, eventually taking the lead from the Badgers with a clutch three-pointer

"I think the strong suit for our team is that we have both drivers and shooters. It's hard for teams to defend us in that sense," said Garvey.

The Bold ended up outscoring the Badgers 21–12, finishing the first half with the lead, 32-28.

Going into the second half, the tensions remained high. The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle with both teams pushing offensively. 

Taking advantage of the physicality and intensity of the game, TMU found ways to draw fouls. Both Hall and Franco DeRyck did a good job at forming three-point plays, going up tough in the paint. Hall ended the game with 16 points and Franco DeRyck with nine.

The Bold also capitalized on their communication and team connection, finding open looks and passes. 

"I think we're a very selfless team, we're always looking for the open person, maybe too selfless at times. We just try and get the best look out of every play," said Franco DeRyck on the team's connection.

TMU closed out the third quarter up, 53-49. 

In the fourth quarter, the Bold's play was strong as they honed their defence–allowing only four points in the quarter.. Coach Clarke said that the Bold's defensive identity has been a key component of their play, and served a key role in today's comeback. 

Catrina Garvey agreed, sharing, "Defence has been a huge part of our identity this year. When the going gets tough just circling back to that, focusing on one-on-one matchups and ultimately being there to support each other."

Making offensive advances, Jayme Foreman was comfortable in her three-point shooting, beating the shot clock. She finished the game with 12 points. 

Nichols was determined to get her hands on the ball and generate points, finishing the game with 10 rebounds and six points. 

The Bold ended victorious, securing the quarter-final win comfortably, 72-53.

Reflecting on the quarter-final win Hall said, "Really just proud of our process tonight, excited about where this team is going and our potential. We're really coming together at the right time."

Looking towards their next difficult match-up, Coach Clarke plans on taking the game by each possession: "This time of year every possession is super competitive and we just have to stay disciplined and connected and resilient."

Garvey is confident in the team's abilities going into the next round, "Regardless of who we play, we're always going to do it for each other and we're just going to leave it all out on the court at the end of the day."

The Bold will hit the road for their OUA semifinal matchup against the No. 1 nationally ranked Carleton Ravens. The game will take place on Saturday, March 1 at 6 p.m. 

Make sure to tune in and support the Bold by catching the game live on OUA.tv.