By Monte Safarian

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team continue their undefeated start to the season with a commanding 96–52 win over the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

The Bold improved to a perfect 10–0 record, powered by a dominant performance from fourth-year guard Myriam Kone, who finished with 24 points and came within a single point of outscoring Nipissing by herself in the first half. TMU’s defence was relentless from the opening tip, forcing 17 turnovers and holding the Lakers to just 27 per cent shooting from the field and a mere nine per cent from three.

TMU set the tone early with a blistering start, taking the first quarter 30–8. The guard play was exceptional, highlighted by Kone outscoring Nipissing 11–8 in the frame. Third-year guard Catrina Garvey added six points on a pair of back-to-back corner threes.

“Basketball is like a game of chess. I was just taking what the defence was giving me. In transition, I was trying to get to their body and finishing, and if they closed out, I was trying to go for an easy pull up,” said Kone on her dominant first-quarter showing.

The second quarter was defined by TMU’s suffocating perimeter defence and another strong offensive stretch from Kone. She scored nine in the frame, including a pull-up three, followed immediately by a steal and layup on the next possession. Nipissing’s 0-for-6 shooting from deep was a reflection of Bold’s sharp defensive rotations and disciplined closeouts.

“We really pride ourselves on defence. When we execute our game plan and it leads to offence, it gets fun. That’s what we’ve been doing the whole semester,” fourth-year guard Kait Nichols said of the team’s two-way identity.

The third quarter showcased TMU’s depth, with seven different players recording a basket and an outstanding two-way effort from Nichols. Nichols led the quarter with eight points—including a tough finish through contact off a pinpoint bounce pass from Garvey—and added three steals. Nipissing committed five turnovers in the frame and went scoreless from beyond the arc for the second straight quarter, shooting 0-for-4.

Nipissing outscored TMU 14–13 in the fourth quarter—their only edge in any frame—but it did little to cut into a deficit that had long since become insurmountable. The Bold’s bench delivered strong minutes, with six players registering at least one point. The highlight came from third-year guard Alex Pino, who knocked down a tough three off a dribble handoff on the left wing.

TMU’s depth and efficiency were undeniable, with four players scoring in double figures: Kone (24), Garvey (16), Nichols (12), and third-year forward Hailey Franco DeRyck (12). The team drilled 11 threes on a sharp 40 per cent clip and secured their second straight win by at least 30 points, despite a standout 29-point effort from Nipissing’s Nicole Budd.

“We’ve got potentially the best guard play in the country with Myriam, Catrina, and Kait—you’ve gotta pick your poison, ”said head coach Carly Clarke on the explosive backcourt performance. “If you try to stop one, the other’s gonna step up.” 

UP NEXT: The Bold now head into a month-long break before returning to the MAC on Jan. 7 to face the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, where they’ll look to push their undefeated streak to 11–0. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.