TORONTO – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men's basketball team wrapped up their NCAA exhibition series against the Oregon Ducks on Friday night, falling to the Pac-12 squad by a final score of 108-76.
 
While the final score may not show it, the contest was a tight one for much of the game with both squads shooting the ball well and exchanging momentum.
 
The Ducks got off to a quick start in the first quarter, going up by as many as 12 points in the opening frame and forcing an early timeout from the home side. TMU settled into the game, however, and mounted a push in the late stages to close the gap. Oregon led 30-21 heading into the second.
 
"The magnitude of the game was getting to our guys," said coach Jeremie Kayeye postgame about TMU's poor start and needing to call a quick timeout. "I [said], 'guys, they had their punch, let's readjust with this', and it worked for the most part."
 
In the second quarter, the visitors continued to have their way on offence, putting up another 26 points. The size of the Ducks proved problematic for TMU as Oregon racked up 30 points in the paint in the first half to just 12 for the home side. At halftime, Oregon held a 56-39 advantage.
 
TMU brought the energy to open the third quarter, going on a 16-6 run to get within seven points and forcing Oregon into a timeout just four minutes into the frame. From there, though, it was all Ducks, as TMU scored just five more points in the quarter while Oregon poured in 28 points to lead 84-60 heading into the fourth.
 
Both teams had their lowest scoring quarters of the game in the final 10 minutes as the outcome was all but decided. When the final buzzer went, the Ducks emerged with the 108-76 win.
 
Oregon's first year phenom Kel'el Ware had a game-high 26 points and added seven rebounds. For TMU, reigning rookie of the year Aaron Rhooms led the team with 22 points and eight rebounds.
 
Friday marked the final game of TMU's exhibition series against NCAA opponents where the squad played to a 1-2 record. With such an early start to the season, the team stressed the importance to learn about their strengths and how to come together as a unit.
 
"As a group we still haven't figured things out, we're still learning from each other," said guard Ankit Choudhary postgame. "From practice I could tell that it's a group that's hungry to learn and just move forward in this whole process so I'm looking forward to working with everybody throughout the season."
 
TMU will be back on the court October 1 when the preseason continues with a home court tilt with Bishop's.