TORONTO—A short ride down line one brought the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team into University of Toronto (U of T) territory for the first game of Metro Hoops, but the No. 1 nationally ranked Bold made themselves right at home.
TMU continued its dominant start to the OUA season, earning a decisive 82-45 victory over the Varsity Blues at Goldring Centre.
"It feels really good, but at the end of day, we are ranked number one, and every single team is going to know that and want to play their best game against us," said fourth-year guard
Catrina Garvey on their U SPORTS ranking.
That pressure of holding the top spot didn't appear to shake the Bold tonight, as
Myriam Kone once again led the offensive charge with 25 points and eight rebounds, helping TMU secure their largest victory so far this season.
The Bold's defence set the tone early, forcing a shot-clock violation keeping the U of T offence in check. It took them a second to warm up offensively, but
Kait Nichols helped to facilitate momentum.
Then came contributions from Kone, who finished the first half with 14 points, and a three-pointer from
Alex Pino, forcing an early U of T timeout.
The Varsity Blues managed to add a few points of their own, but the Bold maintained control after the first, leading 17-10.
TMU's offensive production picked up even more in the second frame, as the Bold outscored U of T 23-14. The three-point shooting quickly became a defining feature of the quarter, with
Juliette Gargya putting one down before Garvey and Kone followed suit.
As the Varsity Blues attempted to close the gap, TMU continued to excel with contributions from across its lineup.
Magdalena Vukojev came off the bench, knocking down a three-pointer of her own as the Bold maintained their advantage heading into halftime, 40-24.
Coming out of the break, TMU's three-point shooting cooled off slightly, but the Bold found other ways to increase their lead.
Forward
Hailey Franco DeRyck helped to fill the gap, driving through the U of T defence and finishing strong at the rim.
As the quarter progressed, Kone and Pino rediscovered their rhythm from beyond the arc, combining to help TMU finish the frame up 63-32.
With one last quarter, Franco DeRyck helped ignite a final offensive surge before the Bold turned to their bench to close out the game.
The opportunity to get the entire roster involved was a positive takeaway for Bold head coach
Stefanija Mrvaljevic, who emphasized the importance of their roster's depth.
"All 15 of our players contribute so much on a weekly basis to what we do and our ability to be successful," said Mrvaljevic.
After four quarters, the Bold called the game 82-45, marking their largest win of the season thus far.
Despite the commanding performance, Mrvaljevic stressed that the team's focus remains on continued development rather than early-season results.
"It's a long season, and ultimately, we're not building for this week, we're building for the whole year," said Mrvaljevic.
The victory marked the Bold's fourth consecutive win in OUA regular-season play, capping off their season-opening road trip with an undefeated record.
Now, TMU will look to carry that momentum into their home opener on Friday, Nov. 6, hosting the Windsor Lancers.
The matchup will also feature a special celebration, as the Bold will unveil their 2025-26 Critelli Cup championship banner at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
"It's bringing the whole community together and celebrating what we've accomplished," said Garvey. "Also, looking towards the future of what more we can accomplish."
Tip off is set at 6:00 p.m. with banner-raising celebrations taking place in advance. TMU students get free admission with their OneCard.
