CALGARY —The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team fell to the Carleton Ravens 58-52 in the semi-finals of the U SPORTS National Championship on Saturday. 

With the defeat, TMU will turn its attention to the bronze medal game. 

Entering the matchup, the Bold had won nine consecutive contests, with their last defeat occurring back on Jan. 30. 

There's a strong case to be made that no opponent was better suited to take a game from the Bold than the Ravens. Despite their OUA coronation coming against Carleton, there's something about playing a team for the third time in 49 days that makes it difficult to build momentum.

This is especially true when it involves two teams constructed through elite talent and a smart coaching staff. Neither TMU nor Carleton have won consecutive games against the other this season. 

TMU had a strong start to the opening quarter. Aidan Wilson, who had reportedly been dealing with an undisclosed illness, hit a mid-range jump shot to get the Bold on the board. Wilson was limited to seven minutes but finished with two points, one rebound and one block. Kevin Toth later knocked down TMU's first three-point attempt. 

When Aaron Rhooms took a rare breather at the 1:10 mark, the Bold responded with three consecutive stops, including an electric block by playoff standout big man Andrejs Silconoks. Despite Carleton's own tenacious defence, TMU led by one at the first intermission. 

The game remained tightly contested by halftime, with both teams tied at 26, but it was Carleton that emerged as the aggressors in the third quarter. The Ravens established a 33-28 lead and forced the Bold to call a timeout. 

Unbothered by what was Carleton's largest advantage up to that point, TMU's Rhooms responded with a quick three-pointer. After Rhooms corralled an offensive rebound, he knocked down another three to give TMU a one-point lead. On the next possession, Rhooms drew an over-the-back offensive foul. 

While the Ravens did an excellent job of containing the U SPORTS National Player of the Year, Rhooms still finished with a team-high 18 points. 

In high-leverage games like this, it's often depth options that become standout contributors. Bold Head Coach David DeAveiro ultimately turned to Silconoks, Maxime Louis-Jean and Gurdeep Kalsi off the bench to play meaningful minutes in the final quarter. 

When Carleton pushed their largest lead of the contest to seven points (47-40), Silconoks knocked down a hook shot, which was followed by Jean-Louis hitting a clutch three-pointer. On the next possession, Jean-Louis threw a perfect pocket-pass out of the pick-and-roll to Rhooms for two more points. 

Kalsi, who had been playing inspiring defence throughout the night, then forced a turnover on the left sideline. Near the end of the game, with the Bold requiring a defensive stop out of desperation, Kalsi poked the ball away from a Ravens player before drawing an intentional foul on the breakaway.

Silconoks finished with three points, five rebounds and two blocks. Louis-Jean's stat line of nine points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal earned him Bold Player of the Game honours. Kalsi added six points, three rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes. 

TMU will await the outcome of the game between the Bishop's University Gaitors and the Victoria Vikes. The Bronze Medal game tips off at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, and can be viewed on CBC platforms.