By Daniel Carrero
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team defeated the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 66-55 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Wednesday night—continuing their undefeated run.
TMU came into Wednesday ranked as the tenth-best team in U Sports, their first appearance in the top ten this season.
“I’m happy for the team, it’s a great start of the season,” said head coach Carly Clarke. “But our goal is not to be in the top 10 in November, [it] is being the best team in February.”
First-year Bold guard Catrina Garvey led the way for the home side in the first quarter with eight points, six from beyond the arc, commanding a formidable fast-paced half.
“I was struggling a bit [in past games],” said Garvey. “I feel like I’m back now.”
Garvey ended the game as the team’s highest-scorer on the night with 17 points, five rebounds and one steal.
“It was almost like a wake-up call, it’s not necessary to shoot threes to score,” she said. “I can get to the rim and pull it as well and I’ve been putting in the time and effort. I’m not done with myself.”
Heading into the second quarter, TMU led by seven points. However, Laurier recovered and forced the Bold to commit five fouls with less than five minutes remaining in the frame. Clarke called a timeout for TMU to fix their foul troubles.
Corrections into the final minutes of the second quarter allowed the Bold to take a five-point advantage into the second half.
“I’m happy for the team, it’s a great start of the season”
Yet, Laurier’s fourth-year guard Cassidy Hirtle and second-year guard Brittyn Graves caused trouble for the Bold in the third quarter.
A three by Hirtle tied the game at 38 with just under six minutes to go. Both Hirtle and Graves became a threat on both sides of the court for TMU, thanks to their combined 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists by the end of the night.
“We tried to reset our game plan. They changed their defence, so we wanted to attack that,” said Clarke. “We executed very well, so it worked.”
Despite Hirtle and Graves’ efforts, the Bold regained control by the end of the quarter and took a fifteen-point lead into the fourth.
The Golden Hawks attempted a comeback throughout the fourth but TMU’s defence held strong.
Bold first-year forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck and third-year forward Haley Fedick took control of the glass with 14 boards each on the night to secure the win, extending their record to 9-0 on the season.
“Our defence gives us the energy to pursue an offence,” said Franco-DeRyck. “Rebounding, hustling and just them knowing that I’m there to support them.”
UP NEXT: The Bold will play their last game of 2023 against the Waterloo Warriors on Dec. 2. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. in Waterloo, Ont.
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