By Gabi Grande
The TMU Bold women’s basketball team prevailed against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks with a 74-49 win on Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The second exhibition game of the season was a gritty and physical performance of athletic abilities. With both teams determined to build upon their upsetting Ontario University Athletics (OUA) elimination last season, the Bold promptly proved their offensive dominance.
The Bold have yet to lose to the Ridgebacks in the last five seasons. On Saturday, they kept that streak alive with a second-half takeover.
The home team had the Ridgebacks’ defence scrambling early with graduate student Kaillie Hall proving why she was named a 2023-24 OUA Third-Team All-Star. Hall wasn’t afraid to get personal in the paint, fighting through tough Ridgebacks defending for points inside and outside the key.
She finished the game with a team-leading four assists and was second in scoring with 16 points.
The Bold played an intense, fast-paced game, continuously cycling the ball around their offensive zone looking for an open pocket.
With the game tied 13-13 with 3:20 left in the first quarter, second-year guard Catrina Garvey hit a three-pointer to give the Bold a 16-13 lead. Garvey finished the game with a game-high 22 points.
Last season, the U SPORTS’ National Rookie of the Year averaged 33 points per game. She was also named to the All-Rookie team, the first time a TMU women’s basketball player has accomplished that feat.
A short time later, after Ontario Tech coughed up the ball in their defensive zone, Hall took advantage with a smooth crossover that put the Ridgebacks defender on the ground. A foul then gave second-year forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck a chance at the line.
The Bold kept turning defence into offence. First-year guard Magdalena Vukojev’s determined defending forced Ontario Tech to make another crucial turnover, which led to an easy bucket for the Bold.
The Ridgebacks had a total of 30 turnovers in the game, compared to the Bolds’ 20.
The Bold intensity was matched by the team’s vocal head coach Carly Clarke. Even in the pre-season, the current assistant coach of the Canadian women’s national team brought an inspiring ferocity to her bench, consistently being out of her seat and engaged in the play at hand.
The first half of the game ended too close to comfort for the Bold, who led the Ridgebacks 31-29.
After her team called a timeout, first-year Ridgebacks guard Amarachi Achioso hit an effortless jumper and tied the game 31-31 with 9:22 left. The Bold were caught with a travelling violation and the Ridgebacks responded with an easy three-pointer, giving them their third lead of the game.
The Bold answered quickly, however, putting their offence to work and mounting a lead. With Garvey leading the way, they took a commanding 44-35 point lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.
Graduate student Callie Wright led the team with two blocks. The Markham, Ont. product is in her first season with the Bold and hopes to be a dominant force in the team’s championship quest.
After both teams traded possession in their respective offensive zones, Hall stepped up in the paint and hit an easy jumper, giving the Bold a 10-point lead with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
The last quarter of the game proved to be the Bold’s most dominant after breaking away from their opponents’ grasp. Second-year guard Alex Pino swished a three-pointer to add to her team’s double-digit lead.
A minute later, third-year forward Jessica Keripe was handed a breakaway layup, giving the Bold a 26-point lead with four minutes left in the game.
Both teams proved to be aggressive in their styles of defending, with the Bold and the Ridgebacks tallying 16 and 21 fouls respectively.
After a personal foul on second-year forward Hannah Watson, the Bold were rewarded with two free throws. The Oshawa, Ont., product missed both shots but compensated by snatching a rebound and making a layup.
In a similar fashion, the Ridgebacks had a late burst of energy on the free throw line, cutting the lead down by three points. Nevertheless, their offensive instincts were too little, too late and their defence was no match for the home team.
With the help of Hall, Garvey and fourth-year forward Haley Fedick, the Bold demonstrated their hunger for a deep playoff run this year.
UP NEXT: The Bold play their next pre-season game on Friday, Oct. 4 against the Mohawk College Mountaineers. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre.
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