TORONTO — The No. 5 nationally-ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team narrowly defeated the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Saturday evening, 73-71.

TMU guard Aaron Rhooms sunk a game-winning three from the corner to put his team up two, erupting the home crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. The fifth-year led all scorers with 38 points, 27 of which came in the second half.

It wasn't just Rhooms and the Bold who didn't catch fire until late in the game, though. Neither team could find a rhythm early, and the score was just 29-29 at halftime.

The low production was a result of strong defensive efforts from both TMU and Ontario Tech. Both schools rank top five provincially in opposing points per game, using their athleticism to deter shots at the rim and force three-point looks.

Normally, taking open shots from distance would be a recipe for success for the Bold. Over the past weekend, though, they've experienced some unusual struggles from beyond the arc. 

After a woeful 2-27 performance from three on Friday evening against the Queen's Gaels, the team shot just 4-23 on Saturday. Had they maintained their regular, OUA eighth-ranked, 32% from downtown, TMU would have controlled the match from the jump.

"We had a really, really, tough weekend shooting the ball," admitted Bold Head Coach David DeAveiro.

The Coach connected the shooting slump to possible player fatigue:

"There's really no rest, right?...we go on the road and play Carleton and Ottawa: two tough games, just to come back, just to go back on the road and play two more quality teams [Windsor and Western], and then come home and play two more quality teams [Queen's and Ontario Tech]. Now we're back on the road again."

With multiple games every weekend and trips away from home stacking up, the Bold are feeling it as they play deeper into the season. That lack of energy likely resulted in some more missed shots.

"We didn't shoot it very well," added DeAveiro, "so we had to find different ways to win, and I think our guys did that today. I give credit to them."

The Bold's bench depth was a key part of that solution. 

First-year forward Imisi Motunde defended the rim with honour, playing vertically and preventing multiple close shot attempts from Ontario Tech. He finished with just four points and seven rebounds, but his impact was felt far more than what was shown on the stat sheet.

Second-year guard Landon Wright was a star defender on the perimeter, picking up Ridgebacks players full court and making them uncomfortable. An emphatic dunk from the springy Markham native sent the Mattamy Athletic Centre crowd into a deafening roar, and provided TMU with some much-needed energy during a low-scoring game.

"We put Landon in there to give us some energy," said DeAveiro, "and he always does. He came through with energy. And Imisi is just solid. He's fundamental…he has a good basketball IQ and feel. That's what I thought we needed today, and he came through for us."

It was the veteran Rhooms, who is now creeping up on rank number 15 on the U SPORTS all-time scoring list, that sealed the deal in the end, though. He masterfully dissected the defence in the mid-range and in the paint to put the ball in the basket.

The Ridgebacks operated a zone defence, hoping to force the Bold into taking and missing some three-pointers. The strategy was effective in the sense that TMU shot poorly from deep, but it allowed space for Rhooms to operate around the free throw line and rack up points of his own.

The star scored or assisted on the Bold's last eight points, getting it done when they needed it the most. Down one with just seven seconds to go, a hammer screen opened up Rhooms in the corner for the game-sealing three. 

"He's unbelievable," praised DeAveiro, "he just took over the game offensively. He made every big shot when we needed a shot or a response to what [the Ridgebacks] were doing…he did it with assertiveness. I hadn't seen that in a while with Aaron. He just refuses to be stopped."

Thanks to the heroism of Rhooms, TMU's record now improves to 13-5 on the season. They're sat just behind the Brock Badgers in the OUA's central division.

DeAveiro's squad have the week to get some ever-important rest before seeing the court again for a weekend trip to the tri-cities, facing off against the Guelph Gryphons and Waterloo Warriors on Friday and Saturday night respectively. 

Tip-off against the Gryphons is set for 8 p.m., and fans can tune into the game live on OUA.tv.