By Francesco Cautillo  

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball team defeated the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in a dramatic 81-76 victory, Wednesday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

The Bold sit ranked fifth in the nation–entering the new year with a four game win streak which improved their record to 8-2.

The two teams emphasized communication in hopes that reliance on teammates would help combat any conditioning problems that arose over the winter break. 

Bold head coach Dave DeAveiro spoke on his team’s lack of conditioning, stating that they “looked like a team that hadn’t played for a month.”

Fifth-year forward Aiden Wilson took the court general role, as he provided instructions defensively as well as drawing fouls off opponents.

The first quarter saw the teams evenly matched, as the period saw eight lead changes. Although the score remained close, the Golden Hawks struggled on defense, continuously committing fouls as they attempted to find an answer to TMU’s agility.

Second quarter issues arose for Laurier, as they were unsuccessful on many pick and rolls, as well as other drawn up plays. Slowly starting to find their stride, the Golden Hawks strung together a comeback, bringing the Bold lead down to five.

After a Laurier guard attempted a three point shot, third-year guard Deandre Goulbourne leaped for the rejection, smacking the ball into the stands and shocking the MAC.

Wilson maintained his composure in the paint, picking up an and-one. 

The first half ended 42-29 in favour of the home side, with TMU focusing their sight on the upcoming twenty minutes and the opportunity to expand their lead. Fifth-year forward Aaron Rhooms was one of the main contributors to this deficit, as the Bold captain not only dropped a 14-point first half, but also used his veteran leadership to pick up a pair of assists.

DeAveiro praised his fifth-year veteran for his reliability, but also touched on the youthfulness and learning factor of his squad.

“Our bench is relatively young and I got to keep that in mind, but I have a lot of confidence in them. I expect them to be good because they are good players but sometimes forget that they’re young and might make mistakes,” said DeAveiro. 

Rebounds and interceptions from second-year guard Kevin Toth left the Golden Hawks scoreless on their offensive attempts. Laurier was forced into using timeouts after struggling with TMU’s defensive pressure, in hopes of regrouping and taking a collective breath. 

A late deficit was a familiar sight to the Golden Hawks, who have clawed their way back into multiple comeback wins, including games against Guelph and Lakehead University this season. Laurier was able to knock down TMU’s twenty point lead down to ten, signalling to their opponents that the final minutes would be nothing short of competitive.

With five minutes left and a five point lead for the Bold. There was a change of energy in the MAC, as if their comfortability had weakened the TMU defence, allowing the comeback kings of Laurier to work their trade once again.

Reliance on the veteran Rhooms was at a high, as the former league MVP capitalized on his difficult shots, including an important and-one basket to put his point tally at 27.

Foul trouble and slip-ups put the Golden Hawks within five with nine seconds left in regulation time. The fans expressed their displeasure with the calls as they slowly watched the comeback come within reach.

Despite all the drama, the Bold were able to close out a tight 81-76 victory and hold off Laurier’s fight.

“Sometimes you ought to win ugly, and we won ugly tonight,” said DeAveiro post-game.

UP NEXT: The Bold will head across the city to the Tait McKenzie Centre to face the York Lions Jan. 10. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.