By Eli Silverstone
The TMU Bold crushed the McGill Redbirds 102-46 at the Kerr Hall Upper Gym on Sunday afternoon in both teams’ final pre-season tune-up.
TMU finishes up the pre-season with a 4-2 record while McGill will look to clean their 2-6 record off the slate when the regular season starts.
Despite the different setting of Kerr Hall, the Bold were not thrown off in the least. Taking charges, fighting for loose balls and a high defensive energy led to many offensive opportunities on the other end. The win was bolstered by shooting a miraculous 51 per cent from the field and winning the turnover battle 34 to six. In a complete team win that every coach strives for, the Bold put it all together.
The game started with a shooting gallery. Fourth-year forward Aaron Rhooms got the scoring started with a smooth three, then third-year guard Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow and second-year guard Michael Kayembe followed suit as TMU let shots fly early. First-year McGill forward Georges Lefebvre matched them, scoring six of McGill’s first nine points as McGill led 9-7 early.
After the Redbirds’ quick lead, the Bold upped their energy level. They started to outhustle the visitors, smelled blood in the water and started full-court pressing. McGill struggled to break the press and once they did, couldn’t secure any rhythm on offence.
Once the full-court press was established, the Bold went on a 16-3 run and led 23-12 after the first quarter.
In the second, the Bold found success in turning defence into offence. Hustle plays on defence by first-year guard Landon Wright and second-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore led to points on the other end from Kayembe, Rhooms and graduate student Jahcobi Neath as TMU extended their lead to 35-14.
Halfway through the second quarter, Neath stole the ball but came up limping on the ensuing fast break. Neath, a former NCAA Division 1 basketball player at Wake Forest and Wisconsin, returned home to Toronto to rehab after a long list of injuries in his four years across the border. Neath did not return to the game but was seen smiling post-game and in no apparent harm.
Meanwhile, Rhooms showed he is clearly ready for the regular season. He had 19 first-half points, helping the Bold roll to a 52-21 first-half lead. The turnover battle showed 17 first-half turnovers from McGill to just one by TMU.
The second half started off with much of the same domination from the Bold. Gilgeous-Glasgow, Gutsmore and first-year guard Maxine Louis-Jean caused havoc in the passing lanes and led TMU on a 10-0 run.
The game continued to slip away from the Redbirds, disappointing the many McGill family members in attendance at this Thanksgiving affair. Without a go-to scoring option and weak ball security— the game having finished with 19 steals for TMU to just two for McGill—The Redbirds didn’t stand much of a chance heading into the fourth quarter down 78-31.
In the final quarter, TMU’s backcourt of Wright and redshirt player Greg Angelekos put their statement on the game. With seven minutes left to play, Wright snatched up a steal and threw down a huge fast-break dunk. Angelekos then added seven points in three minutes before Wright closed out the game with back-to-back three-pointers. Wright finished with 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists, his best game so far in his young Bold career.
The dominant victory gives the Bold four straight double-digit victories on home court.
They now hit the road to conclude their pre-season campaign at the Tindall Invitational Tournament hosted by the Queen’s Gaels from Oct. 18 to 20. They will play the Université du Québec à Montréal Citadins, the Gaels and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men over the course of the weekend before kicking off their regular season on the road against the Nipissing Lakers on Oct. 25.
UP NEXT: The Bold head to Kingston to take part in the Tindall Invitational Tournament from Oct. 18 to 20. Game one against Université du Québec à Montréal will take place on Oct. 18 in Kingston Ont. at the Athletics & Recreation Centre. Tip-off is set at 8:00 p.m.
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