By Andjela Jagodic
With a 69-51 victory over the McMaster Marauders, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team reached their seventh consecutive win on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
In a battle of physicality, the Bold’s grit and tenacity carried them into their triumph.
Right off tip-off, the intensity was high, with both teams fighting to set an intimidating energy on both ends. Graduate forward Cassie Joli-Coeur opened the scoring for McMaster with a put-back shot off an offensive rebound, with second-year forward Hailey Franco-DeRyck obtaining the Bold’s first rebound. Joli-Coeur and Franco-DeRyck started their battle for boards early on but Franco-DeRyck prevailed, finishing the game with 14 rebounds.
“[Franco-DeRyck] just has a tenacity and an ability to track the ball that is really difficult, and when you have a motor like she does, you know she’s getting it done,” said head coach Carly Clarke.
Known as a strong defensive team, the Bold started in a full-court press, constraining the Marauders to difficult shot attempts. Despite this, McMaster found the light in a difficult road to the basket, utilizing their fast transitions out of defensive rebounds to score without Bold players near the rim.
The Marauders’ momentum was strong heading out of the first quarter, with second-year wing Emily Frankovic ending the frame with a buzzer-beater put-back shot.
Despite being down 22-14, TMU came out bold in the second quarter, crushing McMaster’s momentum one play at a time. Through the Bold’s defensive stability, their presence on the court became even more apparent, creating even tougher shot attempts for the Marauders.
Yet, the visitors wouldn’t go down. The Marauders’ energy was continuously fueled by graduate forward Amy Stinson. After being named McMaster’s athlete of the week, Stinson brought a level of consistency she has shown throughout her career against TMU, leading her team with 11 points and eight rebounds. Out of three of her four eligible years, Stinson has been able to average double-digit points during the seasons, demonstrating her trustworthy capabilities on the court.
“Super talented team, really well coached,” said fifth-year guard Kaillie Hall.
McMaster’s steadiness was not enough against the Bold’s constantly shifting defence, switching from various full-court presses and defensive plays to add extra pressure on their opponents.
As the teams continued trading back-and-forth shots, the Bold eventually benefited from their suffocating defensive tactics and played until the very last second of the half, with fourth-year guard Jayme Foreman securing a buzzer-beater to send her team into the second half with confidence.
“Collectively, we take a lot of pride in our defensive game and really holding teams to low scoring, so I think that’s ultimately what helped propel us in that moment,” said Hall.
Heading into the third quarter, the Bold looked to create an even larger lead, remaining indestructible in their defensive efforts.
Joli-Coeur and Stinson’s court chemistry led the Marauders, as Joli-Coeur added six points and seven rebounds to her teammates’ efforts. Having said that, they weren’t the only veterans on the court, as Hall led the Bold with 19 points by the end of the game—further facilitating the Bold’s offence.
Nevertheless, veterans will always need their younger teammates to support them in every way possible. Second-year guard Catrina Garvey was one of Hall’s supporters tonight—despite returning from missing five games from injury, Garvey came off this win with 11 points—nine of them deriving from three-pointers.
“It was great to have [Garvey] back in the lineup, with her shooting ability, we benefited from that tonight,” said Clarke.
The Bold’s defensive prowess, along with their third-quarter offensive successes, allowed them to outscore the Marauders 20-8, creating a 16-point lead into the final quarter.
As the final 10 minutes got started, both teams continued their efforts to finally secure the win. The Bold tried to remain steady and disciplined whilst the Marauders were trying to crawl and climb up the deficit.
In the very last minutes, Hall nailed a three-pointer, further contributing to the Bold’s lead and forcing McMaster into a timeout. From that point onwards, it was clear that the Bold controlled how the game would end.
TMU was finally rewarded as the buzzer rang throughout the gym, signalling the end of the game and another victory in their books.
UP NEXT: The Bold take on the Brock Badgers at the Bob Davis Gym in St. Catherines, Ont. on Feb. 5. Tip-off is set at 6 p.m.
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