TORONTO – The No. 5 ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team fell to the Queen's Gaels on Friday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, 75-68.

Despite the unfortunate result, TMU fought hard to bring things close in the second half after falling to an early 46-32 deficit.

The tough start was the cause of some nagging offensive woes for the Bold. They couldn't seem to find the bottom of the basket from beyond the arc, shooting a weary 2-27 (7.4%) on three-pointers during the match.

Head Coach David DeAveiro was upset, yet understanding of the low percentage:

"That's basketball. If you watch enough games, NBA teams shoot like that, and have nights like that. Just not making shots."

Contrary to what the low percentage may suggest, the Bold played effective basketball throughout the game. 

They hustled on the glass, snagging 19 offensive rebounds to the Gaels' seven. They protected the ball, logging 14 turnovers to the Gaels' 15. They attacked closeouts with quick decision-making, getting to the rim at will and creating open looks. 

Those looks didn't go down, but they were the right ones–especially for a TMU team who ranks sixth in the province in three-point percentage (32.7%).

"That's how it goes," said DeAveiro, "it doesn't always go the way you want it to go."

"Having said all that, we had a chance to win the game," he added, "shooting it that poorly and still having a chance to win says something about our guys."

After the rough first half, DeAveiro's squad managed to turn things around. By using their length on the glass and focusing on finishing at the rim, they slowly chipped away at the lead.

The fifth-year guard Aaron Rhooms shined in the comeback, scoring eight points in the fourth quarter. He led all scorers with 24 points on the night, logging an additional five rebounds and two assists. 

Another key contributor was fifth-year centre Aidan Wilson, who led all players in rebounds with 11. The 6-11 big man used his wingspan to corral the ball after missed shots, leading to six of those boards being offensive. 

DeAndre Goulbourne contributed 10 rebounds of his own, securing TMU some much-needed possessions down the stretch.

The efforts of Rhooms, Wilson, Goulbourne, and the rest of the Bold squad paid off: it was a one-possession game with less than a minute to go.

A timely layup from Gaels guard Ollie Engen quieted the roaring Mattamy Athletic Centre crowd, though, and Queen's managed to sneak away with a seven-point victory.

"We just couldn't get a stop," admitted DeAveiro when asked about the disappointing ending, "[Engen] took us off the dribble and made some tough shots. I didn't think our switching was what it needed to be."

The loss downgrades the Bold's record to 12-5, now second in the OUA central division behind the Brock Badgers. 

They'll have the chance to get back in the winning column on Saturday evening against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. As the regular season creeps to a close, every game counts if TMU want to earn the top spot in their division and a bye past the first round of the OUA playoffs.

Tip-off for the match is set for 8:00 p.m., and students can enter the game for free with their OneCards.