By Aleksa Cosovic
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball team took down the George Brown Huskies in their second exhibition game with a commanding 124-75 win on Thursday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The Bold held a stranglehold throughout the night, resulting in a game-high lead of 55 points in the fourth quarter. Fifth-year forward Lincoln Rosebush recorded a double-double—leading the way for TMU with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“One of our strengths is our team depth. When one guy is having a bad night, another guy can pick him up,” said Bold head coach Dave DeAveiro. “I’m not surprised by anyone’s performance, but I’m pleased with everyone’s performance.”
TMU initiated a dominant offensive showing right from the opening tip. The game’s first possession saw fifth-year Bold guard Cameron Ramage throw a perfect lob pass to first-year forward Michael Kayembe for the easy two under the rim, prompting a quick lead for the blue and gold.
The Bold controlled the entirety of the first quarter in and outside the paint, shooting 44 per cent from the three-point line and 61.9 per cent from the field while putting up 16 points under the rim.
The X-factor for the Bold in the early stages was Rosebush, who was effective on both ends of the floor, scoring a quarter-high of seven points and grabbing three rebounds. Rosebush recorded the sole block of the first half to go along with his effective boxing-out prowess and back-and-forth hustle.
Despite allowing a whopping 18 paint points, the Bold held the Huskies to just 21 total points through the opening ten minutes of the game—leading 31-21 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, the Bold made their presence felt as they came out the gate guns blazing. TMU attacked the paint and generated turnovers, leading to 21 points. The Bold had a 22-point lead before the Huskies called a timeout to try to halt the Bold’s momentum swing.
Fourth-year guard David Walker came off the bench in the second and displayed defensive aggression. Walker threw down a jam off a steal to bring the crowd to its feet and emphasize a TMU run.
The Bold offensive onslaught saw them outscore the visitors by 30 points in the quarter to make the lead 71-31 at the half.
First-year guard Kobe Charles had an impressive performance in his debut for the blue and gold. The Scarborough, Ont. product put up 17 points and five rebounds in only 18 minutes of action.
“For his first game, some of the guys had some nervous energy. I thought Kobe, as a young guy, did a lot of good things today,” said DeAveiro.
The second half told much of the same story. TMU kept pounding the paint and generating turnovers on the defensive end to prevent the Huskies’ attempt at cutting the Bold’s lead.
TMU shot 62.3 per cent from the field throughout the game. The Bold were also effective from beyond the three-point line with 44.4 per cent shooting.
“I didn’t think it would be a 50-point game,” said DeAveiro. “We were good defensively and got some easy baskets on the other end.”
DeAveiro says he expects a tough game against the Humber Hawks on Friday—who also play in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association alongside George Brown.
The Hawks are coming off an impressive 84-83 win over the Guelph Gryphons on Sept. 26 following a close 73-66 loss to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Sept. 21.
“[Humber is] similar to [George Brown],” said DeAveiro. “They’re athletic. They’ll press us and make us uncomfortable. So, we have to get ready for more of the same that we saw tonight.”
UP NEXT: The Bold host the second night of a back-to-back tomorrow against the Hawks in their third preseason game at the MAC. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
Leave a Reply