WATERLOO, ONT. — The No. 6 nationally ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team fell 79-73 to the Laurier Golden Hawks in their regular season opener on Friday evening.
The roster that took the court for the Bold was a very different one from their Wilson Cup championship run back in February. This was the Bold's first regular season game without their top scorer from the 2025–26,
Aaron Rhooms, who graduated and moved on to professional play overseas after winning the U SPORTS Men's Basketball Player of the Year award. Adjusting to the loss of such an integral piece was difficult, but TMU Head Coach
David DeAveiro had a plan for the retool.
The Bold brought in nine recruits over the summer, a few of which hold the potential to take over the bulk of the team's scoring. With all of the new faces looking to prove themselves, DeAveiro went deep into his bench early to test out different lineups: 10 Bold players touched the court before halftime.
One of the standout additions was second-year Fernando De Los Santos, who attacked with aggression early and logged 11 points in the first half. The six-foot-five guard knocked down three of his seven attempts from deep, one of which came at the end of the first half to give TMU a 42-41 lead over Laurier. He finished with 13 points on 55.6 per cent shooting.
The Bold went on a 9-0 run to end the half, keeping themselves in the game with their defensive intensity. They forced the Golden Hawks into 20 turnovers, twice as many as TMU's count of 10.
Perhaps the most impactful recruit defensively was fifth-year big man Ares Culley-Bremner, who made his mark with impressive defence and rebounding. The McMaster Marauders transfer provides elite rim protection, having set the second-highest single-season block total in U SPORTS history (78) during the 2025–26 season.
Culley-Bremner brought that defensive intensity to the court for the Bold on Friday with three steals and two blocks. He dominated the glass, securing six offensive rebounds. Offensively, though, the six-foot-eight forward was evidently still shaking off the off-season rust against the Golden Hawks: while Culley-Bremner led the team in assists with three, he also missed several open tip shots inside that would normally fall.
But DeAveiro let him play through the mistakes, as he logged a team-high 32 minutes. By the fourth quarter, he looked more comfortable with his new teammates.
In the second half, the Bold's backcourt began to deal with foul trouble. De Los Santos fouled out, and starting point guard
Kevin Toth picked up four in just 17 minutes of action.
Two bright spots at the guard position, despite De Los Santos and Toth's lack of playing time, were fourth-year
Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow and second-year
Joey Kleuskens.
Gilgeous-Glasgow returned to the Bold this season after playing NCAA Division 1 for Troy University. One of the six-foot-two guard's goals was to be a top player in the OUA this season, and he got off to a good start against the Golden Hawks by scoring a team-high 16 points on 50 per cent from the field.
His ability to create his own shot off the dribble resulted in a number of pretty step-back jumpers and timely layups around the rim. With less than three minutes to go in the fourth, Gilgeous-Glasgow scored a left-handed scoop off the high glass and immediately knocked down a three-pointer off a steal from Kleuskens to tie the game at 72-72.
Kleuskens, who only played three games while redshirting his freshman year, made the most of his increased role against the Golden Hawks. He took advantage of kick-out passes from his teammates, attacking closeouts for easy jumpshots and makes at the rim – one of which made a Laurier defender fall in a SportsCentre-worthy highlight play. The six-foot-four guard scored a career high 11 points, and tied his career high of two assists.
Gilgeous-Glasgow and Kleuskens play didn't make up for the Bold's lack of rebounding ability, though. TMU lost the battle on the glass 44-33, a stat that is all-too-often the key factor between scores in such a close game. They also missed six of their ten free throws: a difference that would have tied the game had they shot 100 per cent from the line.
Despite their valiant fourth-quarter effort, DeAveiro's squad were unable to emerge victorious after a three-pointer from Laurier's Liban Abdalla sealed the game. The Bold should be happy with their production, though, considering how many new additions saw the floor. With more playing time under their belt, the squad will work out their kinks and continue to improve throughout the regular season.
TMU now has a week to rest before travelling to St. Catherine's to take on the Brock Badgers on October 30. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m., and fans can tune into the game live on OUA.tv.
