TORONTO — The road to the Wilson Cup isn't supposed to be easy.

With the No. 4 nationally-ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team down 53-46 to the Guelph Gryphons late in the third quarter, Aaron Rhooms hit the bench for a long-overdue breather. 

The Bold's leading scorer had already navigated through several defensive coverages designed to keep him away from the ball. Even with the potential for Guelph's lead to grow looming, Bold Head Coach David DeAveiro made the call to find Rhooms some rest. 

"Rhooms was running out of gas," said DeAveiro. "When teams decide that they're not going to let Aaron beat them, what are we going to do?" 

That's when TMU went to a five-man group featuring Landon Wright, Andrejs Silconoks, Deandre Goulbourne, Darnaz Mabanza, and Imisi Motunde. The unit responded with eight defensive stops on the next nine possessions, including a streak of six straight. By the time Rhooms entered back into the game, the Bold had authored a 7-2 run to draw within two points. 

The Bold ultimately used that sequence as a catalyst to defeat the Gryphons 82-75 in overtime on Saturday to advance to the semi-final round of the OUA playoffs. 

While the Bold came away with the victory, it took some time for the number one-ranked team in the province to find its groove. A mix of athleticism and playoff effort helped spark the Gryphons to a 13-5 start to the game. It was a lead they would hold onto for most of the contest. 

Guelph finished the half with 11 offensive rebounds and scored 17 points off 15 turnovers. 

"I'm not upset, I'm disappointed," DeAveiro told his team at halftime. "They're testing our toughness and they're testing our IQ."

TMU would go on to win the second-half turnover battle 11-6, while conceding only eight offensive rebounds in the final two frames and overtime.

With the Bold finding their rhythm, it was only a matter of time before their offence followed.

Bold guard Maxime Louis-Jean knocked down a three-pointer to give the Bold a one-point lead, their first advantage of the game. Louis was the first player off the bench for TMU and played with a tenacity that made it difficult for opposing ball-handlers. Late in the fourth quarter, Louis-Jean drew a charge on Guelph's Jack Tunstill. It was the Gryphon guard's fifth foul, ejecting him from the game. Tunstill still finished as Guelph's leading scorer with 17 points.

"We've got to focus on the defensive side and that's what we did in the second half," said Louis-Jean. "Toughness is in our nature." 

Adding to the team's grit was centre Silconoks. The six-foot-11 big man was a world-devouring type of presence in the paint, finishing the game with a career-high six blocks. 

"We just needed stops and I stepped up," said Silconoks. "But the energy everyone brought in the fourth quarter, it was crazy." 

Silconoks' contributions went beyond the box score. His communication on defence, particularly in the pick-and-roll,  and willingness to dive on loose balls, especially at his size, were game-changers the Bold desperately needed. 

"It was a hard and physical game," said DeAveiro. "But…that's what playoff basketball games are." 

With the Bold's season hanging in the balance, it was a foregone conclusion that Rhooms would play an integral role in deciding the game's outcome. In what was arguably more impressive than any of Rhooms' heroics this year, the forward fought off a triple team on the right wing late in the fourth quarter, before calmly knocking down a pressure-packed jumper. 

Later in overtime, Rhooms hit a massive three-pointer to give TMU a 69-66 lead. On the next possession, Rhooms snuck in for a double-team steal. When that led to a corner three for Goulbourne, it sent a raucous crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) into a frenzy. 

Rhooms finished with a game-high 23 points in 40 minutes. 

Late in overtime, guard Landon Wright put the finishing touches on the victory. He scored his only two points late in the extra frame after he beat his defender on the wing before finishing at the rim with his right hand. While his numbers don't pop out on the stat sheet like some of his teammates, Wright played one of the most important roles on the team, especially late in the fourth quarter and during all of overtime. 

"Landon is a guy who beats people with quickness," said DeAveiro. "They were giving our guards a hard time...Landon was a guy who could get by them…he just changes gears."

Earlier in the game, Wright was one of the first players off the bench but was quickly taken out due to a mistake. The six-foot-four guard knew he wanted a chance to make things right, especially in a playoff environment. 

"When I came back in the game in the fourth quarter and overtime, I was just focused on keeping the team under control," said Wright. "Making sure the guys were all with me and just getting to my spot." 

The Bold play their semifinal game against the Brock Badgers on Feb. 25. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on OUA.tv. Students and fans can watch the game live at the MAC, while playing an important role for a team primed for a playoff run. 

"The crowd willed us to a win today," said DeAveiro. "It's important for us to have them here."