By Liam Stevenson

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball team ousted the Carleton University Ravens 66-56 Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), laying their claim on the Wilson Cup, establishing themselves as the best team in Ontario University Athletics (OUA). 

The last time they played in the Cup’s deciding game was in 2019, where they lost to none other than Carleton. This is TMU’s first time winning the Cup since 2017, and the third time in school history they have reached that apex.   

Third-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore was the recipient of the Wilson Cup Player of the Game after a  14-point performance on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, while grabbing 3 rebounds and providing pivotal energy on the defensive end. 

“It means everything, but I feel like the guys got me this,” said Gutsmore about the honour.

It was a massive team effort, as TMU had only two players score in double figures, while the two top defensive teams in the country faced off based on opponents’ points-per-game. This led to an intense, physical game, with both teams shooting below 40 per cent from the field.

“If you were a fan, that wasn’t the prettiest basketball,” said head coach David DeAveiro.

The physicality started right from tip-off, with both teams exerting massive amounts of effort on the defensive side of the ball, leading to fluid bench rotations for each team early in the game. “They were trying to leave everything on the floor,” said DeAveiro.

Both teams struggled to shoot from beyond the three-point line, as both TMU and Carleton finished shooting below 25 percent from distance. This led to a physical battle in the paint, where TMU outscored the Ravens 38-22.

The crowd played a crucial role in this one as Carleton was forced to move their chairs under their own basket during timeouts, due to the rambunctious Bold crowd.

“Honestly, the crowd was crazy tonight,” said Gutsmore. “I feel like they played a big part in this game today.”

The second quarter featured even more defensive intensity from the Bold—a theme that would persist throughout—as they slowly built their lead, capitalizing on turnovers and offensive rebounds. TMU would outscore Carleton 18-4 on second-chance points and score 26 points off a staggering 28 Ravens turnovers in the contest, allowing the Bold to head into the half with an 11-point lead.

The third quarter was highlighted by second-year forward Andrejs Silconoks, bringing the energy he has shown throughout the playoffs, contributing with two big dunks within minutes of each other, to go along with his 4 blocks in the game.

Fifth-year forward Aidan Wilson also had a big putback slam in the quarter, in what is his final game at the MAC. Wilson was also ecstatic to see Silconoks’ growth show up in the biggest games of the season.

“I’m super happy for him, I’m so proud,” said Wilson. “I’ve seen the work he’s been putting in.”

The defense continued to stifle, as they forced multiple shot clock violations in the quarter.

The fourth was where the Bold put the game to bed. Gutsmore began to take over, forcing multiple turnovers from the Ravens, using his quickness to get his way into the paint. Second-year guard Kevin Toth also hit a massive three to dash the Ravens’ hopes.

A couple of late fouls by the Ravens would ultimately delay the inevitable, and when the clock hit zero, the Bold were crowned Wilson Cup champions. 

Emotions and celebrations started pouring in as players and media rushed the court, jumping with pure joy on their faces.

The win capped off an OUA season for the records for the Bold, as DeAveiro was announced as the Coach of the Year for the tenth time in his career, and fifth-year guard Aaron Rhooms received the Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

This was also Rhooms’ final game in the MAC, as he finishes up a storybook career in the OUA, with the Wilson Cup being an achievement to elude him in his career. 

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” said Rhooms postgame. “I’m going to miss it, you know?”

Rhooms mentioned earlier in the year that bringing a banner to the MAC was the last thing he had to do, and now, he’s accomplished that.

“It’s just gratitude, really,” he said.

The hunt is not over, however, as the Bold now shift their sights to the U Sports National Championship, which they will be competing for in the final eight.

“We’re just going to do our best, take one game at a time,” said Rhooms about nationals. “Play our brand of basketball and see where it takes us.”

It’s safe to say it’s taken them pretty far already.

UP NEXT: TMU will head to Calgary, Alta., to take on the nation’s best teams in the U Sports National Championship Final Eight, with a chance to be named not only the best team in the province, but to be potentially named the best team in the country, something never done in program history.