Fifth-year guard Inaki Alvarez led all players with 26 points but the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team dropped a narrow 77-73 decision to the Bishop's Gaiters in their pre-season opener on Friday night (Sept. 27) at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre at Scarborough Campus.
 
Alvarez went 9-for-17 on the night, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, while adding a game-high seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block.
 
In his first game in the Blue and White, Simon Fraser transfer Nigel Hylton notched 11 points and four boards, while fourth-year veteran Lenny Weber added 11 points and three rebounds in the loss.
 
Down 41-28 at halftime, the Blues stormed back, led by a 10-point effort from Alvarez, and trailed 59-58 after three quarters. An Alvarez three-pointer gave Toronto a 65-62 advantage with six minutes remaining; however, the Gaiters went on a 10-point run to take the lead for good. Fourth-year guard and McGill Redbirds transfer Quarry Whyne brought the game within three with 13 seconds to go, but time ran out before Toronto could complete the comeback.  
 
The Blues are back in action next Saturday, October 5 when they host the Concordia Stingers in exhibition action at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.