By Raphael Chahinian
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team faced off against the Windsor Lancers and came away with a strong 70-63 win at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Friday night.
Defence was the key to the win for the Bold, as they were able to slow down a great shooting team.
“We were keyed in on our defensive coverages and making sure that we could get out and contest shots quickly which we did pretty consistently,” said Bold head coach Carly Clarke.
Both teams came out strong offensively, setting the stage for what would be one of the most exciting back-and-forth games of the season. The quarter was highlighted by TMU’s strong trap defence which forced the Lancers to commit five turnovers, including two off of the full-court press.
On the offensive end, the Bold were led by third-year guard Kaillie Hall who scored eight of TMU’s 21 first-quarter points.
“It was all about taking what the defence was giving,” said Hall. “We got some great shots as a whole and I think that we did a good job on that end.”
The Bold went into the second quarter up by one, but the game slowed down drastically. Both teams were forcing each other to shoot very late in the shot clock, which led to fewer scoring opportunities and ball movement.
“The pace of the game naturally slowed down and us being two strong defensive teams really played a role throughout the rest of the game,” said Hall.
Both teams ended the frame scoring 15 points each and ended the half with a score of 36-35 in favour of the Bold.
The Lancers started the second half on fire, scoring 12 of their first 14 points from behind the three-point arc leading to their biggest lead in the game at 49-43. The Bold however clawed their way back into the game with several crucial baskets, including back-to-back threes by fourth-year forward Rachel Farwell.
The game’s high energy could be attributed to the play of fifth-year guard Eve Uwayesu who formerly played for the Lancers. In what could be called a revenge game, her energy was felt throughout the MAC as she made plays on both ends of the floor.
“I thought she [Uwayesu] was awesome,” said Clarke. “Sometimes when you play against your old team your energy can be off, but I thought that she really took control and that everyone could feel her composure.”
Heading into the final quarter, Windsor held a two-point advantage, 55-53. They continued to lead the game until a made three by first-year guard Jayme Foreman put the Bold up 63-60. TMU took full control of the game from there and continued to cruise offensively to a 70-63 home win.
This win was a statement for the Bold, bringing their record to 8-7 and pushing them above the .500 mark.
Riding the high of their win, the Bold are ready to defend home court again on Saturday.
“We’re going to enjoy the win tonight and get ready for another battle tomorrow, every game will be at this point in the season and we just have to focus on the game plan,” said Clarke.
UP NEXT: The Bold suit up against the Western Mustangs for their second game of the weekend on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the MAC. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
Leave a Reply