The Varsity Blues routed the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold in an 84–67 win on November 1 at the Goldring Centre. With the win, the Blues claimed the inaugural Men’s Metro Hoops Classic, a brand new series between the Blues and their local “Line 1 Derby” rivals, and their second win of the regular season.

What happened? 

Guard Iñaki Alvarez led the charge with a game-high 24 points with four three-pointers and three steals. Alongside him was second-year guard Simeon Jeffers adding 20 points of his own and five rebounds. Third-year forward Nigel Hylton contributed eight points, five rebounds, a block, and a steal off the bench to help the Blues’ lockdown defense in a hard-fought win. 

The player of the game for TMU Bold was guard Aaron Rhooms, who put up 23-points with four steals and three blocks, while guard Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow led the team with five assists and nine points of his own. 

A neck-in-neck first quarter suggested that this game would be a 48-minute dogfight. Neither team held more than a three-point lead, with the Blues and Bold going head-to-head into a 19–19 stalemate at the end of the quarter. Alvarez led the Blues with eight points, including two three-pointers against Rhooms, who had eight points and two three-point shots of his own. 

The second quarter saw the game blown open by the Blues, outscoring the Bold 26–16. Fourth-year guard Quarry Whyne led the charge with perfect shooting this quarter and adding three rebounds and a steal to help seal the first half with a 10-point lead. 

The rest of the game was a Blues affair. With a game-high 17-point lead midway through the third quarter, the Blues were able to capitalize on 19 turnovers from the Bold for 26 points and out-rebounded TMU for an extra 18 points. The Bold’s free throw struggles only added to their troubles, scoring 2 of 10 on the night. The Bold weren’t able to come back from the third-quarter lead and the game ended in a decisive win for the Blues. 

What’s next?

The Blues hosted the Algoma University Thunderbirds at the Goldring Centre on November 3, beating them 114–41. The team will then play a midweek matchup against the University of Waterloo Warriors on November 6, as they look to continue their positive start to the season.