By Todd Ash-Duah
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team defeated the Bishop’s University Gaiters 52-43 on Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
It was the first pre-season game of the 2024-25 season for both the Gaiters and the Bold and the first matchup between the two teams since Oct. 20, 2018, a game that TMU won 78-56. In a similar fashion to that game, the Bold managed to shut down the Gaiters’ offence and get a victory over the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) team.
Both teams found it difficult to put the ball in the basket to begin the game, as they combined for eight points in the first five minutes. A series of missed shots combined with hard-nosed defensive intensity was the clear theme of the night.
At the end of the first quarter, the Bold held a narrow 11-10 lead, highlighted by a slick up-and-under layup by second-year guard Catrina Garvey.
After Bishop took its first lead of the game on a tough fadeaway shot by fourth-year forward Victoria Gauna to begin the second quarter, TMU responded with a quick 5-0 run, capped by a three-pointer by Garvey. A mid-range jumper by Garvey followed by a made free throw gave the Bold a 19-12 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the frame.
With three minutes remaining in the quarter, the Bold went into lead management mode, anchored by two impressive plays by graduate student Callie Wright in her first game with the Bold. Wright blocked a shot in impressive fashion to start a fast break for TMU, which would culminate with her scoring on a put-back layup. The game was then 23-16 in TMU’s favour.
Coming out of a Bishop timeout, Wright continued her stellar play, feeding Garvey for a three-pointer to extend TMU’s lead to double digits. Undeterred, Gaura would answer with a top-of-the-key three-pointer to cut the lead back down to seven points.
The Bold enter the 2024-25 season with many new faces, but one who appeared on Friday was a player who has made her presence known at TMU over the past four seasons—Kaillie Hall. Coming into this season, it was unclear whether Hall—who completed her fourth year of school last year–would exercise her final year of eligibility. Throughout Friday’s game, it became clear that Hall returning to the court will undoubtedly give the team a huge boost coming into a year with championship expectations.
To end the second quarter, Hall got the ball on a fast break, evaded multiple Gaiter defenders, and scooped a layup to give TMU a 28-19 lead at the end of the first half, providing a big jolt of energy and excitement for the crowd at the MAC.
The third quarter began with a three-pointer by Gaiters’ second-year guard Laurie Lafleur. Shortly afterward, the Bold responded when second-year guard Hailey Franco-DeRyck made a slick pass to Hall for an easy layup. Then, on the next possession, Hall got into the paint again and scored, bringing her point-tally to 14 points in the first three minutes of the frame.
After a layup by Bold fourth-year forward Jayme Foreman, TMU gained a 12-point lead. The Gaiters responded in big-time fashion, going on a 7-0 run to force the Bold to call a quick timeout midway through the quarter.
Out of the timeout, TMU managed to end Bishop’s run with a fast break layup by Franco-DeRyck. Then, after a defensive stop, Garvey slithered her way into the paint for a layup to give the Bold a 38-29 lead. The Bold continued to play stout defence on the next possession as well, with Franco-DeRyck getting a steal and finishing on the fast break with a layup to put TMU back up by double digits.
With a little over two minutes remaining in the frame, Hall continued to dominate from two-point range, knocking down a mid-range jumper to give the Bold a 13-point lead. However, Gaura continued to show why she was the second-leading scorer for the Gaiters last season, responding with a personal 7-0 run to keep Bishop’s in the game. As the third quarter came to a close, TMU held a 44-36 lead over the visitors.
Similarly to the first quarter, the fourth quarter was marked by great defence from both teams. Bishop’s and TMU combined to score four points through the first seven minutes of the frame, highlighted by Hall drawing two tough charges. With defence leading the way, a driving layup by fourth-year forward Haley Fedick coupled with a few free throws were all that the Bold needed to put the game away and start off the pre-season with a victory.
UP NEXT: The Bold are back in pre-season action tomorrow, taking on the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at the MAC. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
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