Western vs Toronto Metropolitan
Alumni Hall
Almost every seat in Alumni Hall was filled as Western welcomed a red hot Toronto Metropolitan group into London, the Bold arriving with momentum, confidence, and one of the most dangerous lineups in the country. Western, shorthanded and missing three key contributors, knew the margin for error would be thin from the opening tip.
Both teams came out trading punches early. Maxime Louis-Jean drilled a deep three for TMU, answered moments later by Raequon Pryce on the other end as the game settled into a fast, physical rhythm. The opening quarter was competitive and spirited, but Toronto Metropolitan gradually found separation behind pace and execution, closing the first ten minutes ahead 23–18.
The game began to tilt midway through the second quarter. TMU surged into a 36–22 lead, forcing a Western timeout as the Bold's pressure and finishing at the rim began to pile up. They were confident, unafraid to put on a show, punctuating the run with an alley-oop dunk that brought the visiting bench to its feet.
And it was not a coincidence that Toronto Metropolitan came in this hot. Aaron Rhooms was at the center of it all, pouring in 24 points on the night and, in the process, surpassing the highest single-game scoring mark in Toronto Metropolitan men's basketball history. Every touch felt decisive, every finish another reminder that this TMU group was not just rolling through the OUA, but doing so with history being written along the way.
Western tried to steady themselves. Emmanuel Akot knocked down a three to briefly halt the momentum, but TMU continued to press, stretching the lead to 49–32 at the half after a difficult second quarter for the Mustangs.
The third quarter opened with Western searching for a spark. There were moments of resistance, including finishes from Tye Cotie and Milan John, but Toronto Metropolitan answered every push with composure and shot making. Deandre Goulbourne and Maxime Louis-Jean added timely threes as the Bold continued to widen the gap.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the game had slipped firmly into TMU's control. Western continued to compete, with Isaiah Young hitting a pair of late threes and Pryce attacking the paint, but Toronto Metropolitan never relented, closing out an 85–59 road win.
Despite the final score, head coach Brad Campbell kept the focus forward.
"Well, obviously, that wasn't our best game," Campbell said. "We're a little beat up right now physically, not to make excuses, but we're going to have to play a lot of guys in a back-to-back situation. We just got beat in a lot of different aspects of the game today, and we didn't play our best, so we've got to go back to the drawing board and get better."
With a quick turnaround ahead, the message to the group was clear.
"There's no excuses," Campbell added. "TMU is one of the best teams in the country talent-wise, and we knew that. We had a really close game last night and that was mentally exhausting, but you've got to be ready for the next day. This is life in the OUA. We get ready for next weekend and we move on."
Western was led by Raequon Pryce with 13 points, while Tye Cotie added 11. Toronto Metropolitan placed four players in double figures, led by Rhooms' historic performance, as the Bold showed why they remain one of the most formidable teams in the conference.
