TORONTO – The No. 6 nationally-ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold handed the No. 2 Queen's Gaels their first loss on Friday evening, 75-66.

The match was a battle of physicality for all 40 minutes. Both teams rank top three in the OUA in points per game allowed. The Gaels sat nearly three points ahead of second place, giving up just 53.9 per contest.

That defence was immediately evident as the Bold got off to a slow start from the field. Missing their first seven field goal attempts, the squad was visibly uncomfortable as the Gaels' defenders used their quick hands to poke at the ball inside.

TMU guard Kait Nichols sat the match out due to injury, a key loss in a game that had to be won with grit: Nichols, who is known for her tenacity and team-first style of play, would have provided a perfect counter to Queen's style of play.

"TBD", responded Bold Head Coach Carly Clarke on Nichols' return timetable.

Without their enforcer on the court, TMU struggled early from both inside and out. The usually strong three-point shooting squad (they rank fifth in the OUA in makes from distance this season) didn't find success from beyond the arc until near the end of the second quarter, and it allowed Queen's to pull away to a 36-28 lead at halftime.

Clarke managed to help her team find a rhythm in the second half, though.

Although their accuracy from deep continued to struggle, TMU played smart inside the paint. A double-big lineup featuring third-year forward Hailey Franco DeRyck and fifth-year Eternati Willock provided the Bold with some much-needed length to counter the Gael's quick hands. 

The duo combined for eight offensive rebounds in the match, and 18 total. Franco DeRyck, who sits second in the province in rebounds per game at 12.8, logged 13 boards to go along with a well-rounded performance of 13 points, four assists, two steals, and a block. Willock chipped in nine points, four steals, and a block of her own.

"Franco had a huge game," praised Clarke, "she was all over the floor disrupting things. And then Eternati [was key] defensively, with a couple of big baskets down the stretch. Her composure was really great."

As their offence began to flow, the Bold began to turn on the clamps defensively.

The Gaels committed a whopping 28 turnovers to the Bold's 15, with the mistakes coming in all shapes and sizes. TMU scared their opponents into taking too many steps for travels, stepping out of bounds, or making an errant pass for a Bold fastbreak on the other end.

"We mixed some things up defensively," said Clarke, "we turned them over a bunch, which was critical to us getting some easy scores and getting going."

And get going they did, led by some much-needed baskets from guards Catrina Garvey and Myriam Kone. The pair combined for 44 of the team's 66 points, stepping up in the clutch to help propel their squad to an eventual win. 

A layup from Garvey gave TMU their first lead of the match midway through the fourth quarter, erupting the Bold's home crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. With their fans behind them, the blue & gold seemed unstoppable.

With the clock ticking under the two-minute mark, two Willock layups secured her team a four-point lead.

It was Kone who put the nail in the Gaels' coffin, though. Isolating on the right wing, she found space to rise for a three-pointer that swished through the net to make the score 71-66. The crowd screamed louder than ever in response to some taunting from the fifth-year guard, and the Bold cruised to victory.

"I enjoy watching our players have fun and celebrate when they make big plays," admitted Clarke.

The win improves the Bold's record to 15-2 on the year, good for first in the OUA's central division. Clarke was proud of her team's performance, dealing the formerly undefeated Gaels a sucker punch to the gut with the victory:

"We always want to beat a great team. It's not our championship tonight by any means, but I think it's proof that we can contend if we keep doing the things we need to do."

TMU see the court next on Saturday evening against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and students can enter the game for free with their OneCards.