The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team dropped an 85-77 decision to the Dalhousie Tigers in their first game at the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport on Saturday night (Oct. 4).
 
Third-year forward Devin Johnson led all players with 26 points, while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals on the night.
 
Veteran guard Julian Clarke added 19 points, going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, with Manny Sahota adding 14 points and Kwasi Oti-Awere notching a team-high seven boards in the loss.  
 
The game started as a back-and-forth battle, until seven-straight points from Devin Johnson led to an 11-0 Toronto run. The Blues held a 24-17 lead after the first quarter.
 
The Tigers evened the score three minutes into the second frame and the two teams traded baskets as the Blues headed into halftime with a one-point lead (40-39).
 
Third-year Tigers guard Jarred Reid opened the second half with eight points and Dalhousie took the lead for good. The Blues brought the game within five midway through the fourth, but were unable to mount the comeback.
 
Five Dalhousie Tigers reached double digits with Devon Stedmen leading the squad with 16 points and five rebounds. Jarred Reid had 15 points, with rookie guard Sean Dodds adding 13. Sven Stammberger also notched a double-double of 11 points and 11 boards in the win.

The Varsity Blues return to action on Friday, October 17 as they host the UNB Varsity Reds in exhibition action. Game time is set for 8 p.m.