By Todd Ash-Duah
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball team dominated the Windsor Lancers 91-62 on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
With the win, the Bold improved to 6-1 on the season, including a perfect 4-0 record at home. For the fifth time in seven games, the Bold won by double digits and held the opposing team under 70 points.
Bold head coach David DeAveiro said his team’s focus heading into the match was to stop Windsor’s “two elite scorers,” third-year guards Yohann Sam and Simeon Smith.
“I think our team followed that gameplan to a tee,” he said.
The Bold scored first just three seconds into the game off a quick layup by graduate guard Jahcobi Neath. Neath—who missed the start of the season due to injury—scored nine points in his first regular season game in a Bold uniform.
“I was just super grateful,” said Neath. “I was just thanking God for being able to come back on the court. My first thought was just to have fun, don’t go too hard, and really enjoy it.”
It was a defensive slugfest to start off this game, as both teams had trouble putting the ball in the basket. That remained the case until the Bold went on an 11-2 run, spearheaded by a one-handed acrobatic layup by third-year guard Javier Gilgeous-Glascow, followed by a three-pointer by fourth-year guard Aaron Rhooms to give the home squad a 19-8 lead.
Unfazed, the Lancers responded in quick fashion. With two minutes remaining in the first quarter, fourth-year guard Lorenzo Barbieri took out his do-it-yourself kit and scored on a nifty layup to punctuate an 8-4 run by the Lancers, bringing the Bold’s lead down to five points. The Bold held a 23-16 lead to end the frame.
To begin the second quarter, the Lancers continued to chip away at the Bold’s lead, as third-year forward Luke Grace scored on a tough layup in the paint while getting fouled. Grace knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play and cut TMU’s lead down to six.
After a series of missed shots by both teams, Rhooms knocked down a pull-up mid-range jump shot to end the scoring drought, leading to the Lancers calling a timeout with about six minutes remaining in the quarter.
Coming into the game, TMU led the OUA in the fewest points allowed per game, giving up an average of 63.5 points per game. Out of the timeout, the Bold continued to show off their stout defensive chops, forcing the Lancers into six consecutive missed shots, which included a big-time block by first-year forward Emmanuel Owonibi.
The Bold’s stout defence played a huge role in helping them to stay in control of the game in the last three minutes of the first half.
“Honestly, everything is communication,” said second-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore. “We emphasize defence on this team because we believe that defence wins games and championships.”
As the second quarter continued to wind down, the Bold extended their advantage. Rhooms made a nifty pass to Neath, who leapt in the air for a tough layup in traffic to give the Bold a 14-point lead.
“It’s been a long battle for [Neath] mentally,” said DeAveiro. “Everybody is just happy to see him on the floor and being able to compete.”
On their next possession, Rhooms got the ball on the fastbreak and knifed his way through the Lancers defence for a layup to give the Bold a 45-31 lead at halftime. Rhooms finished with a game-high 26 points.
The second half began with the Bold lighting it up from downtown, as Neath and Rhooms knocked down back-to-back threes to give TMU a 20-point lead.
With the midway point of the third quarter approaching, the Bold continued to assert their dominance over the Lancers. Gilgeous-Glasgow stole the ball away from Sam, leading to a fastbreak one-handed slam dunk by Gutsmore. The crowd at the MAC went wild in response, as TMU blew the game open with a 24-point lead.
“I feel all of the love,” said Gutsmore, who finished the game with a season-best 18 points. “The people that support us, familiar faces, friends and family in the crowd. I know they’re going to [be] blowing up my phone once I check it, so it’s a good feeling having my community come support me.”
Although TMU held a 28-point lead with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter, Windsor refused to go away quietly. A 5-0 run by the Lancers—created out of turnovers by the Bold—led to a quick timeout by the Bold.
“Sometimes, we turn the ball over because we’re not solid with the ball and we get casual,” said DeAveiro. “I wanted more leadership on the floor and we talked about that [during the timeout]”.
That break was all the Bold needed as they went on a 7-2 run to end the frame and go into the fourth quarter with a 74-46 lead.
The final quarter featured much more of the same, as first-year guard Maxime Louis-Jean hit a corner three to push TMU’s lead to 34 with six minutes left in the frame, effectively ending the game 91-62 and extending the Bold’s winning streak to four games.
“Our whole thing this year is ‘stay solid’,” said DeAveiro. “Don’t try to do too much on your own, use your teammates, play together and just stay solid.”
UP NEXT: The Bold travel on the road to take on the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Nov. 22. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m.
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