Toronto, ON – The Development Men’s National Team’s first exhibition game end with a 91-83 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, in Lawrence, Kansas.

“We fought hard in a tough environment and I'm proud of the team. We came together for our first practice on Friday night and had one of the best programs in the NCAA in a 2 point game up to the last minute,” said Head Coach Barnaby Craddock. "We will review the film and come back on Friday."

Chris McLaughlin paced Canada in scoring with 15 points on 4-11 shooting with 6-6 free throws. Kansas’s Frank Mason was the standout for the squad that will represent the USA at the World University Games, pouring in 26 points on 9-14 shooting. For a full boxscore, click here.

Team Canada jumped out to a 25-21 advantage over Kansas despite a slow start. The Jayhawks led 14-10 five minutes through the first period, but Canada would settle in on both ends to swing the advantage the other way.

The combination of Johnny Berhanemeskel and Chris McLaughlin would make their mark on the game and push Canada’s advantage to as much as ten points in the second period. In the back-end of the quarter, Canada’s offence dried up and the Jayhawks hit their stride to make it a two-point deficit, 43-41.

In front of their home crowd, Kansas grabbed the advantage in the third quarter. The Jayhawks took a lead with 7:03 remaining in the third and would consistently score throughout the period. Team Canada trailed 66-61 heading into the fourth.

The Development Men’s National Team would claw back into the game, eventually taking an 80-79 lead off an Aaron Best layup with 2:49 left in the game. A Kansas three in response would start the 12-3 run that would prove to be the difference and secure the Jayhawk victory.

The two teams will continue to train ahead of the FISU Games before meeting for another exhibition game on June 26.

For full team roster and coaching staff, click here.

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