TORONTO — There's something about the adage "new year, new me" that isn't inclusive of every team in the OUA men's basketball playoff race. It implies that teams adopting the moniker require a sorely needed transformation. 

After the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men's basketball team finished 2025 with an 8-2 record, it's perhaps more fitting that the classic mantra is repackaged into "new year, better me". 

The No. 5-ranked Bold are already nationally recognized as an elite squad. However, slight improvements that cover small blemishes on their resume could catapult them to the heights they so desperately seek. 

TMU continued their climb to the top with an 81-76 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Wednesday. 

While the victory extended the Bold's win streak to five games, the result didn't come easy. For Bold Head Coach David DeAveiro, the journey to self-improvement can occasionally hit snags manufactured by the schedule. This was the team's first regular-season game back since Nov. 29. 

"Our conditioning and our sharpness were a factor," said DeAveiro. "It's been a month and when we play a team that plays that hard in your first game back, it can be a recipe for disaster." 

Six minutes into the first quarter, TMU's Aaron Rhooms attacked a closeout at the top of the arc, and whether it was due to his first-step burst or loose footwear, the reigning OUA Player of the Year's shoe didn't cooperate. Rhooms hit the deck after making contact with the Laurier defender in the paint and his shoe remained near the three-point line. 

Earlier in the matchup, Golden Hawks forward Liban Abdalla's sneaker also fell off, which the Bold subsequently capitalized on when Gabriel Gutsmore raced down the court for one of the easier layups of the evening. 

The renegade sneakers conveniently foreshadowed the frenetic pace that the Bold and Golden Hawks played with in the first half, with both teams eagerly testing the other's transition defence. 

TMU's near-perfect record this season can partly be attributed to how flexible its roster is. The Bold are malleable in their offensive and defensive philosophies on the court, and it's why they're not limited to any specific win condition. 

When the game decelerated to a half-court pace, that's when Rhooms asserted himself with his signature bruising style. Rhooms showed off his catalogue of counters in the paint and dominated the glass. He led all scorers at halftime with 14 points. Rhooms ultimately finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and two assists. 

"There's a reason why he was the Player of the Year," said DeAveiro. "He's got a great ability to score." 

TMU started the contest with a relentless desire to attack the rim. Ten of the Bold's first 11 shot attempts came at the basket, with Rhooms, Gutsmore, and Aidan Wilson each contributing four points during this stretch. 

"We just can't continue to rely on Aaron to bail us out," said DeAveiro. "And so we're kind of challenging these guys to step up." 

One of the players who answered the call was Wilson, who played an integral role in patrolling the paint on both sides of the court. With the game hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter, Laurier deployed a soft 2-2-1 press and a zone defence in the half-court. Wilson's looming presence in the paint helped detonate the Golden Hawks' defensive schemes. The TMU veteran finished with a season-high in points (17) and rebounds (11). It was his second double-double of the season. 

The Golden Hawks felt inspired to try different defensive coverages primarily because of the Bold's shooting woes. TMU missed its first nine three-point attempts before Landon Wright knocked one down with less than a minute to go in the first half. The Bold finished the game shooting a season-low 14.3% from deep.

Despite one final push from the Golden Hawks in the fourth quarter, the Bold relied on grit and effort to ultimately secure the victory. 

"Sometimes you've got to win ugly," said DeAveiro. "We were hanging on and when it was time to get stops, we got some crucial stops." 

TMU's next game is against the York University Lions on Jan. 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. Watch live on OUA.tv.