By Noah Curitti
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) women’s basketball team suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday night, falling by a final score of 59-51 to the Guelph Gryphons at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The matchup featured a very physical playoff-like game that showed two good teams battling, although it was the visitors who came out on top, snapping the Bold’s four-game winning streak. Both teams now hold a 4-1 record in the regular season.
“I thought we played well through the first four games of the season, but I think Guelph was the stronger team today,” said Bold head coach Carly Clarke. “We’re just focused on getting better.”
The first quarter of play started with an early steal by the Bold but it was Guelph who got the scoring going. TMU was sloppy and the Gryphons’ bench was bringing the noise and energy to give them the advantage, causing TMU to call a timeout in an attempt to slow the Gryphons’ momentum.
As the quarter progressed, the game became more physical and everything was going right for Guelph. TMU made a comeback, cutting the lead to eight points as the Gryphons led 19-11 at the break.
Clarke expected Guelph to bring pressure at the start of the game but mentioned her team was too flat-footed and could not adapt their style of play.
“They have been a really solid defensive team, they are super physical so no surprises at all,” said Clarke.
TMU started the second quarter with a layup plus a foul and a three-pointer to cut the Guelph lead to three points. TMU had the momentum as second-year forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck picked up a steal and score and second-year guard Catrina Garvey hit a three-ball which made Guelph look lost, causing them to call a timeout.
The end of the frame was back-and-forth, though it was Guelph who was able to go into the break with a 30-29 lead.
Franco-DeRyck had a strong defensive game, picking up 10 rebounds on the night.
“I am not very good at boxing out other players and I am usually guarding their biggest player so I try and go where the ball is and make sure it doesn’t land in the other team’s hands,” said Franco-DeRyck.
The third quarter started sloppy for both teams, as there were many wasted possessions. It remained like this until a huge roar from the TMU bench—after a Guelph offensive foul—brought the playoff-like energy back into the game. This energy translated into fourth-year guard Jayme Foreman knocking down a pair of three-pointers to give TMU their first lead of the game.
The Gryphons brought the Bold lead down to three despite the energy from the fans consuming them. This made Clarke animated on the bench as Guelph eventually took the 45-41 lead and carried it into the final quarter of play.
TMU kicked off the final quarter of play on a positive note, with second-year guard Alex Pino knocking down a three-pointer. Nevertheless, Guelph kept up the pressure—where they succeeded in doing all game—making it hard for the Bold to get back into the game.
Fifth-year guard Kaillie Hall put the team on her back doing everything she could to get back into the game but Guelph continued to pour it on. TMU’s three-point shooting was weak late in the frame and ultimately their effort of making a comeback fell short as time ran out.
“I think we have to work on some offensive execution, especially as we get fatigued, handling physicality and still improve some details offensively,” said Clarke.
Hall, an OUA champion and a veteran of the team, used the loss as motivation for the upcoming games. She finished tonight’s game with 13 points, seven rebounds and was shot nine-for-11 from the free-throw line.
“It is good to be tested early, especially since our league is super competitive. That is the beauty of having to play night-in and night-out and execute the right things to win games,” said Hall.
The Bold—who were ranked eighth in the country on Nov. 4—will be looking to bounce back against the Western University Mustangs on Nov. 13.
“Western is another tough opponent, I think we have got to get some rest in us and then we will get back to working on specific game prep,” said Clarke. “We need to work on some offensive execution and shoot the ball better in practice.”
UP NEXT: The Bold will face the Western Mustangs at the MAC on Nov. 13. Tip-off is set at 6 p.m.
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