By Trae Davis

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s basketball team won a gritty 82-75 overtime battle against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA)  quarterfinals. The Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) saw a roaring crowd, fit for a thrilling contest. Trailing by five at halftime, TMU adjusted its game in a defensive showdown.

Guelph fourth-year guard Jack Tunstill set the tone for the contest, picking up a foul on third-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore 15 seconds into the game. Fourth-year forward Eric Armstrong and second-year guard Mazen Yagubi hit back-to-back three-pointers to give Guelph a five-point lead with under eight minutes left in the first quarter.

Bold’s third-year guard/forward Deandre Goulbourne recorded a block before second-year guard Kevin Toth found fifth-year guard  Aaron Rhooms on the other end to keep the Bold in the game midway through the first, cutting the score to 11-5.

The Bold then got into foul trouble as Guelph capitalized at the free-throw line to go up 15-7 with four minutes left in the quarter. Second-year forward Andrejs Silconoks recorded one of six blocks–marking a career high–after subbing in midway through the first quarter.

“We just needed stops,” Silconoks said. “I stepped up, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and the energy of the crowd.”

Both teams looked to establish their bigs in the paint before Rhooms hit a three-pointer on a kick-out pass from Silconoks. The teams traded turnovers in the final minute before fifth-year forward Aidan Wilson closed the quarter with a free throw, as Guelph held a nine-point lead.

The Bold closed the gap in the second quarter despite Guelph targeting Rhooms defensively and double-teaming him consistently throughout the game. Guelph’s second-year forward, Jack Gallaway made both free throws on a foul committed by second-year guard Landon Wright to open the scoring.

Fifty seconds in, second-year Bold guard Maxime Louis-Jean was elbowed under the basket, forcing him to exit the game. Louis-Jean would return to play midway through the frame. 

TMU’s defensive prowess was on full display with both Wilson and Toth recording a steal and a block on consecutive plays, but the Bold were unable to convert their opportunities on the other end. 

The rest of the second was a back and forth affair from the three point line with a Rhooms open corner three before Guelph answered with a three-pointer of its own. 

Guelph extended its lead to 31-19 off a steal by Tunstill, leaving TMU searching for answers.

Wilson responded with a putback dunk with five minutes left in the quarter, followed by a midrange jumper to cut the deficit to seven. With three minutes remaining, fourth-year guard Darnaz Mabanza–who finished with 10 points and three steals–subbed in and immediately made an impact, assisting on a quick jumper by Rhooms.

Mabanza continued to leave his mark on the game, scoring at the rim,  highlighted by a and-one layup in transition off a steal. Second-year guard Amare Hamilton made both free throws after being fouled by first-year forward Imisi Motunde, prompting head coach Dave DeAveiro to call a timeout, but TMU turned the ball over on the inbound play. Rhooms kept the Bold within striking distance with a layup in the final seconds of the half as Guelph led 38-33 at the break.

“I said to them, ‘I’m not upset, I’m disappointed,’” explained DeAveiro. “Guelph is testing our toughness and our basketball IQ, and unless we get better, we will struggle. Guelph is a team averaging 11 offensive rebounds a game and we gave them 11 offensive rebounds in the first half.”

The Bold emerged as a different team in the third quarter following DeAveiro’s message. Gutsmore found Wilson for a dunk off a bounce pass under the rim. Gutsmore then grabbed a defensive rebound and hit a three-pointer to pull TMU within one possession.

TMU went scoreless for the next three minutes as Yagubi hit a three-pointer followed by a layup from Gallaway to stretch Guelph’s lead to eight. Mabanza returned to the scoresheet with a free throw and drew a foul on Tunstill, adding two more from the line. Silconoks added another block with under two minutes left in the quarter. Goulbourne was able to cash in a key three-pointer before Silconoks recorded another block to keep TMU within four entering the final quarter.

With the score 53-49, Goulbourne blocked Gallaway to set the tone. Mabanza followed with a steal and a fast-break layup to cut the lead to two.

With seven minutes left, Silconoks recorded a highlight-reel block before finding Louis-Jean for a three-pointer to give the Bold their first lead of the game at 56-55. Louis-Jean then stole the ball from third-year forward Emmanuel Black, and Rhooms converted while triple-teamed on the other end. With Guelph’s season on the line, first-year guard Vito Albanese made both free throws to force overtime in a game the Gryphons had led for more than three quarters. Rhooms missed a last-second shot to end regulation.

The Bold would be undeniable in overtime. Silconoks grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to make it 66-64. Rhooms hit another three-pointer with about three minutes left to put TMU up three. He followed with a defensive stop and then found Goulbourne for another three-pointer to extend the lead to 72-66. Louis-Jean drove for a layup and then added a steal on the next possession to help seal the win.

“It’s win or go home in the playoffs, and it’s our nature to play tough,” Louis-Jean said. “We want to protect home-court advantage and get a crowd like tonight on Wednesday.”

Guelph was unable to rally as Rhooms made three free throws in the final minute to finish with 23 points. The 82-75 victory secured TMU’s spot in the OUA semifinals.

“It means the world to me to have a team and fan base that supports me,” Rhooms said. “The fans gave us the energy we needed to come out in overtime. We were a bit lax in the first half, but we came out in the second half and got it done.”

UP NEXT: TMU will advance to the semifinals as they will face the Brock Badgers Wednesday night  for a chance at the Wilson Cup, a trophy it last won in 2017. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the MAC.