By Jonathan Reynoso
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold Men’s basketball team pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback to win 91-83 against the Western Mustangs on Nov. 13 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
With strong performances from fourth-year guard Aaron Rhooms and their bench down the stretch, the Bold snagged their third win in a row to start a four-game homestand in front of a packed crowd on Jersey Night.
“This is why I came here,” said TMU head coach David DeAveiro about the night’s crowd. “To have this kind of crowd, we really can’t tell you how much our players appreciate it, how much I appreciate it. It really made a difference in today’s game.”
The first quarter of play featured little to no perimeter defence for both teams, allowing each to shoot over 50 per cent from behind the arc.
First-year Bold guard Maxime Louis-Jean came off the bench and popped off with three first-quarter threes to help the Bold roll into the second with a four-point lead.
Western was the first of the two teams to tighten up their defence in the second, forcing six turnovers from the Bold.
The Mustangs sat in a 2-3 zone, which the Bold have struggled with this season. Coach DeAveiro compared their struggles with the zone to their only loss so far this season, an 84-67 defeat to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
“We’re still not quite organized the way we would like to be in terms of our offence, but we’ll get there,” said DeAveiro
Western’s zone forced 11 Bold turnovers leading to 14 points, which saw them head into halftime with a 44-39 lead.
The start of the third was more of the same for the Bold, as they led off their first possession with a turnover.
TMU dug their own hole with continued sloppy play, going down as many as 11 points in the quarter. Their lowest point came with a 7-0 Mustangs run in the middle of the quarter.
This run saw DeAveiro make adjustments, subbing first-year guard Kevin Toth into the game where he made an immediate impact with one of his game-high eight assists.
The first offensive possession for Toth featured a hit-ahead assist to fourth-year forward Aidan Wilson for a two-handed dunk.
“My teammates put me in great positions to succeed,” said Wilson. “They make me feel confident out on the court and just doing my job the best that I can, staying within my role and [knowing] my teammates will handle the rest.”
Wilson was an essential part of TMU’s fierce comeback at the end of the third, spearheading the comeback with a monster pin block. This led to a transition layup for second-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore to cut the Mustangs lead to two.
Nevertheless, the Bold still couldn’t take care of the basketball, ending a second consecutive quarter with a turnover that led to a bucket the other way. This put the game at 66-62 for the Mustangs heading into the final quarter of action.
Points in transition were a sore point for the Bold in the game. Western scored 25 points off turnovers, compared to TMU’s 18.
As the game winded down, the energy in the MAC began to rise and the Bold gained momentum.
“They really gave us a lot of energy, the crowd in that second half,” said Wilson. “They really helped us pull through and gave us that extra boost that we needed.”
With a made shot by the Mustangs 30 seconds into the quarter, DeAveiro called an early time-out to get his group back into focus and give them an extra breather.
“Our guys were tired from fighting back and they just needed another minute or two in a time-out,” said DeAveiro. “There was nothing I really said. I told them I loved them and that was that.”
The fourth was a back-and-forth affair with each team clawing their way to gain the advantage, eventually leading to a tie ball game where any play could determine the fate of either team.
Fourth-year guard Aaron Rhooms emerged as the difference-maker, time and time again delivering bucket after bucket in the clutch. An and-one three to put the Bold up six with under two minutes to go in the game proved critical.
“It was just a moment in the game where I thought, you know, shoot the shot, just try to stay as calm as possible,” said Rhooms, who finished with a game-best 23 points. “I don’t try and get too rattled by the score or the emotions of the other team. I just stay collected and do what I do best, knock down shots.”
Rhooms sealed the comeback by nailing two free throws to park the Mustangs in the garage.
The Bolds resilience shined through in their performance. Despite the mistakes along the way, the team was able to piece together just enough to pull out the victory.
“Our guys proved their character, and they made enough good plays for us to win, said DeAveiro
Being through many dog-fights like this one, Rhooms explained how trusting what they do in practice can make sure this team continues to produce wins.
“The game is always going to have ups and downs,” said Rhooms. “At the end of the day. It’s believing in our system and believing in each other.”
UP NEXT: The Bold finish off their homestand against the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 16 at the MAC. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
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