By Noah Curitti
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team secured a 66-55 victory over the Cape Breton University Capers on the opening night of the 36th annual Darcel Wright Memorial Classic at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Friday night.
The Bold—who came into the match with a 6-1 exhibition record—found their star in graduate student Kaillie Hall, who led the team with 24 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
“Kaillie is doing an incredible job being disruptive defensively and using her athleticism to get to the rim and draw fouls,” said Bold head coach Carly Clarke. “She has been playing very consistently for us, which I love to see.”
The Bold played without fourth-year standout forward Haley Fedick as she did not suit up for the game. Clarke said it is “nothing serious” and just a night off as the squad play more matches this weekend.
The first quarter started off with both teams playing extremely physically, struggling to score points. It was Capers first-year guard Chermensa van la Parra who opened up the scoring with a pair of free throws.
As the quarter progressed, the game was free-flowing with both teams exchanging buckets and physicality proving to be a huge factor for both teams. A lot of fouls committed by both teams late in the frame kept the score close but fourth-year guard Jayme Foreman and Hall both got their shot going late as the Bold took a four point lead into the second quarter.
“The style of both teams is very physical,” said Clarke, pointing out third-year Capers forward Kiyara Letlow, a U Sports Second Team All-Canadian in 2021-22 and 2022-23. “[Letlow] is an All-Canadian post up player so you need to be physical [against] her. So we try to impose some of our strength and athleticism as well.”
The second quarter started off well for the Bold as they strung some impressive passing plays together, yet they still did not find a lot of success in putting the ball in the net. However, as the quarter progressed, the Bold found it easier to score, even with the Capers playing some valiant defense.
A 10-point lead for the Bold late into the quarter was cut down to three by the Capers but it was Hall and second-year guard Catrina Garvey who finished off the quarter strong with several three-point plays. They combined for a pair of three pointers and an aggressive layup plus the foul, giving the Bold a five point lead at halftime.
Hall continued her strong night to kick off the third quarter, sinking a layup to get the Bold back into the groove. Hall was a conductor on the floor and played both sides of the ball well, finishing the third quarter with 20 points in the game.
From there, the Bold defence and offence combined to extend their lead, despite the efforts of the Capers. A forceful block by second-year forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck led to a transition three ball by Garvey to extend the lead to 10, then they kept rolling.
The third quarter of play remained gritty but the Bold were able to find scoring lanes as they had a comfortable lead headed into the final quarter. In the dying seconds, the Toronto product, Letlow drilled a buzzer-beater three-pointer from just below the logo, cutting the Bold lead to eight points.
The final quarter of play remained physical, with referees intervening to call plenty of fouls.
Hall continued her great night and the Bold carried an 11-point lead into the final minutes until Cape Breton started stringing up points to make a comeback, with Letlow at the head of the charge. The Capers put in a strong effort to slow down Hall, who finished the night with 24 points but had only four in the fourth quarter.
“Playing good teams at home is great preparation for the rest of the season,” said Clarke.
Although the comeback was on, the Bold defence held down the fort. Graduate student forward Callie Wright recorded her sixth block of the night—a game lead—and valiant late-quarter performances from Garvey—who finished with 14 points and three steals. Franco-DeRyck—who finished with nine points and 12 rebounds—sealed the deal.
The Capers ran out of time as the Bold sealed the first win in the tournament.
The victory marked an important win for the Bold in a tournament with a lot of meaning to the school. Darcel Wright was a TMU Alumni who passed away in 2008 and the tournament was named in her honour that same year.
“It is important because it is named after one of our alumni so we try to keep that strong connection and culture between those who have played before us and those who are building the program to what it is now,” said Clarke.
UP NEXT: The Bold continue their journey in the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic tomorrow against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at the MAC. Tip-off is set at 6 p.m.
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