Continuing their preseason schedule, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team earned a 73-66 win over the visiting McGill Redbirds on Saturday (Oct. 12) afternoon at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

Following a slow start which saw the Blues trailing 19-12 at the end of the first quarter, U of T found their footing to close the gap and eventually take the lead in an impressive fourth which saw Toronto outscore McGill 29-16 in the frame. The Blues were especially efficient from behind the three-point line in the fourth, knocking down 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc, while shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor in the final quarter. Meanwhile, on the other side of the court Toronto secured 10 steals and two blocks, seeing a core of returning veterans delivering defensively.

Three Blues reached double-digit points in the win, led by sharpshooter Nadav Sahar who finished with a game-high 18 points, including five made three-pointers. Making an impact from the bench, second-year wing Simeon Jeffers added 17 points in 30 minutes of action, while fifth-year veteran forward Anthony Daudu notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Guiding the Blues offence, fellow fifth-year guard Inaki Alvarez added 10 assists and eight points in a game-high 38 minutes.

For the visiting Redbirds, Georges Lefebvre tallied a team-high 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Saranch Padhy recorded 12 points with four assists.

U of T will next travel to Quebec where they will compete in the annual Laval Tournament. The Blues will open their road trip versus the Saint Mary's Huskies on Friday (Oct. 18), followed by a match against the host Laval Rouge et Or on Saturday (Oct. 19). The preseason tournament will mark the end of Toronto's exhibition schedule, with the Blues then heading north to Sudbury to open their OUA regular season on Friday, Oct. 25 versus the Laurentian Voyageurs.