TORONTO — It was a record-breaking night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. After three years of falling short in the OUA semifinals, the No. 3 nationally ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team is headed to the Critelli Cup Championship. 

TMU defeated the University of Windsor Lancers 97-38, setting the program playoff records for both the largest margin of victory and most points scored in a postseason game. 

"It's emotional. I've been here, seen it all, been through it all," said fourth-year guard Kait Nichols.

Myriam Kone led the Bold to their victory with 24 points, while Nichols posted a career-high 20 in just her second game back from injury.

"For her to have that game today, just exemplifies who she is as a player but even more so as a person," said head coach Carly Clarke on Nichols. "She's really had to battle to get here and I get a little emotional talking about her, honestly because I'm just so proud of her."

It was full steam ahead for the Bold in this first frame. The last time they faced the Lancers, TMU trailed after the first quarter, which wasn't in the cards for this critical semifinal matchup.

Feeding off the high-energy crowd, the Bold executed exceptionally well on offence. Nichols lit up the court, draining 12 points in the first frame alone.

Defensively, the Bold stayed true to their team identity. TMU's zone defence shut down Windsor, forcing turnovers and converting them into transition opportunities.

"We know everything kind of starts from defence and then it's a bit harder to score on offence, " said Nichols. "So that's what we harp on in practice. That's our engine, it's our defence for sure."

These forced turnovers translated gracefully into open looks, with Kone logging eight first-quarter points. This early dominant play set them ahead 29-12 after the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Bold continued to take command of the court. They ran circles around the Lancers, overpowering them on the boards and consistently securing offensive rebounds.

Forwards Eternati Willock and Hailey Franco DeRyck were key contributors. Franco DeRyck grabbed eight rebounds just in the first half, while Willock added seven points in the second quarter. 

At halftime, TMU led 54-28, marking the second-highest scoring half in program playoff history.

The third quarter was huge for the Bold, outscoring Windsor 27-5 in points. 

Three-pointers fell from across the lineup. Catrina Garvey knocked down two, while Kone, Nichols and Alex Pino added one of their own. 

The Lancers still couldn't find a way to penetrate the Bold's zone, unable to generate their offence.

"We made a bunch of shots today, but that's not always gonna happen," said Coach Clarke. "We gotta be able to get stops and when we do that, our offence gets going."

The Bold finished the third quarter ahead, 81-35.

The fourth quarter was no different than the others. The Bold didn't back down, maintaining their intensity till the very end. Closing off the game, Zoe Idahosa had a late spark, finishing with 10 points, including three consecutive offensive plays to wrap the game. 

The Bold ultimately secured their ticket to the OUA finals and the U SPORTS championship tournament with a decisive 97-38 conclusion to the semifinals. 

TMU will now host the Carleton University Ravens in the Critelli Cup Championship on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. It will be TMU's first appearance in the Critelli Cup Championship since 2022, and first time hosting since 2020.

Coach Clarke emphasized that their work is not done, "Rest, recover, watch that game and continue to lean into the identity that we've built. We're gonna have a tough battle whoever we face."

TMU students get in free with their OneCard — come out and support the Bold.