(Prague, Czech Republic)

The Canadian Women`s Development Team finished off play in Prague with a disappointing 56-45 loss to the Czech Republic`s U20 team, closing off a valuable series of games at the Prague Open. Although it was a tough way to finish the tournament, there were many positives to draw from the experience.

Starting for Canada were Sami Hill, Maurice Corbin, Shay Colley, Quinn Dornstauder, and Karly Roser. Click here for the full team roster.

"This was a tough way to finish our trip. Everything was a struggle today," said Head Coach Faban McKenzie. "We struggled to execute on offense and turned the ball over way too many times. Defensively, we couldn't put multiple stops together and that hurt us. Overall, we have seen some great strides in development for many of the players so the process was beneficial."

Hill led Canada in scoring with 13 points, while Dornstauder contributed 11 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Colley provided valuable minutes with nine rebounds and two steals. Canada had the slight advantage in the paint, scoring 20 to the Czechs' 18. The Czech Republic side had a decided edge off the bench, outscoring Canada 31-11.

"This is a tough loss to swallow, especially it being our last game as a group," said Roser. "We fought back in the third, but couldn't maintain that high level of intensity long enough to get us in a position to win the game."

Canada started the game off strong, getting out to a four-point lead only to see the Czechs go on a 9-0 run, leading to an eight-point advantage after one quarter.

That momentum--aided by turnovers from the Canadian side--continued for the Czech Republic, as they increased their lead to 10 with strong play from their bench. They led 28-21 at halftime.

Canada came out strong in the third quarter, closing the lead to three points but could not sustain that performance, as the offense struggled and the Czech lead went back to six. The fourth quarter saw the Czech side increase their lead and put the game out of reach, winning by 11 points.

Emily Potter and Bridget Carleton, who had played key roles throughout the tournament leading up to this game, did not play.

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