TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University Bold won the Critelli Cup OUA Championship on Saturday afternoon against the Carleton Ravens, 75-60.

The Bold last appeared in the highly-anticipated tournament finals in 2022, where they took a narrow victory over the Brock Badgers, 72-70 in overtime. That squad went on to win again at the national level in the U SPORTS Championships, defeating the Winnipeg Wesmen in dominant fashion.

Dominant was the only way to describe TMU's performance in the second half of their matchup against the Ravens, who won the Cup as recently as 2023 and 2024. The home crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre was as lively as ever, intensifying the already high-stakes game and giving the Bold some positive momentum.

"We've been talking about it a lot: it's really meaningful," praised Bold Head Coach Carly Clarke when asked about the impact of the supportive Bold fans, "we talked about protecting home court…we haven't lost at home, all regular season or playoffs. The crowd today was really positive. They helped give us some momentum and it was really meaningful to get this one here."

During the first half, though, the score was tight. Both teams showcased their daunting defensive abilities: the Bold rank second provincially in opponents points per game with 54.0, and the Ravens third with 56.4. 

TMU operated the aggressive full-court press in the first quarter that had helped them tear through their previous playoff opponents. In the OUA quarterfinal against Western, they forced 23 turnovers and snagged a 20 point win. In the semifinal against Windsor, they dominated their way into a 59-point victory: the largest in Bold postseason history, men's or women's.

By trapping Carleton just past halfcourt, the Bold forced their opponents into some risky passes that led to early turnovers. 

"[The full-court press] has always been a part of our team identity while I've been here at TMU," said Clarke, "but there are so many people [on the Bold roster] that can just be so disruptive individually, and you saw those impacts today."

TMU finished with 13 steals and 10 blocks as a team, stifling the Ravens' attempts to operate their offence. Forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck finished with a game-high four blocks, as well as nine points and 12 rebounds.

It was Kait Nichols, one of the premiere defenders on the roster, who got things started with a three-pointer. The shot was followed by four straight points from guard Myriam Kone, which forced a Ravens timeout with the score 9-2.

The Ravens came alive in the second quarter, though, figuring the press out and earning some open looks in the paint. They stormed into a 10-point run that prompted a timeout from Clarke. The moment saw TMU face their first real adversity of the postseason. 

Nichols, the Bold's leading scorer at the time with nine points, exited the game with an apparent leg injury. As halftime hit, the score read 38-32 TMU. 

The momentum seemed to have completely switched in the Ravens' favour as the second half started–but the Bold weren't going down easy.

Carleton entered the second half with a full-court press of their own. When attacking such an aggressive defensive scheme, making the right passes can lead to some open looks in transition. Kone took full advantage of that, storming into an eleven-point solo run that provided the Bold with their largest lead of the game at 19. The guard wooed the crowd with a difficult three-pointer, multiple mid-range jumpers, and stellar finishing around the rim.

When asked about what she was seeing when coming down the floor in transition, Kone grinned and responded with, "Nobody."

"It's just me and the rim," she added, "that's all I see, and I'm just trying to either get a foul or get a score, and find the best advantage for us as well. I want to win really badly, so I want to go do whatever we need out there."

Kone finished with a game-highs of 22 points and six assists, to go along with nine rebounds. She continued her season-long streak of scoring in double figures, adding to her already impressive resume despite having played for the Bold for just one season.

The OUA named Kone the Critelli Cup Player of the Game, a result which was met by overwhelming support and praise from her teammates.

The fourth-year was also one of four Bold players recognized as OUA award-winners before the game: guard Ella McDonald was named an OUA all-rookie selection, guard Catrina Garvey a third-team all-star, Kone a first-team all-star, and Franco DeRyck the Defensive Player of the Year.

Thanks to Kone's heroics in the third, the Bold managed to build up a comfortable lead. Nichols was also able to return to the court, immediately nailing a three-pointer and forcing a jump ball. After dealing with injuries all throughout her OUA career, it was a storybook ending for the guard to push through an injury to win at the highest level.

"Sheer toughness and resilience, and a desire to win," described Clarke when asked about the return, "[Nichols] sat with us in 2022 when we got our rings…she knew she wanted off of those too, so I'm just so happy that she gets one."

Nichols, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals, described herself as "emotional" after the win: 

"I've been here for four years, and coming into this season, our goal as a team was to win the OUAs. And here we are. I'm so proud of this team, all 15 [players], and all the coaching staff."

Nichols and Kone led the Bold, with some supportive cheers from the crowd, into an eventual 20-point lead in the fourth. 

As the final buzzer sounded, TMU accomplished their year-long goal of becoming Critelli Cup champions. Each player and coach embraced their friends and family as the squad celebrated the spectacular accomplishment.

"I've really been savouring this year," praised Clarke, "really enjoying it every single day. This team is really similar to the 2022 team with the joy they had, just being together and competing together."

The Bold now move on to the U SPORTS National Championships in Quebec City, which start on March 5. The games will be streamed live on CBC Sport's YouTube channel.