TORONTO – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball squad avenged their Metro Hoops Classic defeat to the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues on Wednesday in a dominant 69-57 victory.
TMU's leading scorer, Aaron Rhooms, once again played the role of his side's offensive conduit in the win, pacing the home side with 24 points and eight rebounds.
Jahcobi Neath entered the contest midway through the first quarter and finished a point shy from tying his season high of 14 in the win. Kevin Toth rounded out the Bold's offense with 10 points and a team-high five assists over 30 minutes of action.
The Bold were able to build on the momentum they garnered in their 76-63 drubbing over the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Saturday with another wire-to-wire victory led by their fourth-year guard.
Just a game removed from his best offensive showing of the campaign (31 points against the Ridgebacks) Rhooms helped the Bold manufacture a lead they failed to look back on in the early stages of the opening quarter.
A quick trio of points from Rhooms helped the home side open an 11-4 cushion over their city rivals and featured a milestone layup from the veteran star, surpassing 1,500 points in his illustrious OUA career with the Bold.
"I never really imagined it, but nevertheless, glad to be here," commented Rhooms on his career milestone. "Just having my name in the history books, it's a great honour," he added.
"He's an unbelievable scorer," praised head coach of the Bold, David DeAveiro of his team's active leading scorer. "That's what he does man, Aaron scores points and I'm proud of his accomplishment."
TMU's lead never jeopardized itself the rest of the way, thwarting U of T's momentum with runs of their own and possessing a defense that mirrored the likes of their league-leading form prior to the winter break.
Even as the Bold struggled to find their groove from beyond the arc in the middle frame, a 5-6 showing from the free-throw lined allowed them to keep their strong grasp on the game and keep the Varsity Blues out of reach.
To make matters worse for the visitors, the Bold's depth shined in the second quarter outscoring U of T 12-2 with a six-point showing from Neath and a four-point performance from Elijah Roye.
"If someone doesn't have it on one day, it's good to have the bench to be able to pick someone up in that sense," praised DeAveiro following the win.
Leading 40-30 after the middle frame, the Bold failed to show signs of loosening their grip on the contest throughout the second half, coasting their way to a 13-point win that never saw the Varsity Blues cut their deficit to anything less than two possessions.
Though coming relatively easily to the Bold on Wednesday night, the win is welcomed for the Toronto side who entered the contest with four losses in their previous five games.
The Bold wll hope to build on their two-game winning streak when they take on the McMaster Marauders on Saturday from the luxury of their home court. Tip off is set for 8 p.m. Students can attend for free with their OneCard.
