Canada in Command at the End of the Under-16 Americas Group Stage
Canada blitzed the competition in their group at the FIBA Americas Women's Under-16 Championship, putting on three confident, efficient and domineering performances in Aysem.
The team began the tournament by giving Ecuador the baptism of fire - limiting the debutants to three points in the first quarter, eleven in the first half and leading from start to finish, by as many as 47 points. The final score was 79-33 in Canada's favour.
They were similarly dominant against Brazil, overwhelming them on both ends of the floor with three players reaching the double-digit mark in their 78-39 win. Isaline Alexander led the team in rebounding in both of their first two games.
On day three Canada clinched the top spot in the group after an 83-40 win over Puerto Rico. They led by as many as 48 points in the game and had 51 from their bench players - one, Avianna Thompson, scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.
Canada finished atop Group A, while the records of the other teams in the group meant the final standings had to come down to the individual results.
Brazil won over Puerto Rico, who later beat Ecuador, who in turn scored a 71-55 victory over Brazil. With one win and two losses each, final placings were decided on point difference: Puerto Rico finished second, Ecuador third and Brazil fourth.
Mexico’s delay in arriving at the tournament means that their game against the USA has yet to be played, and the bracket for the second phase has yet to be decided. However, given the Americans’ form in the competition so far - a 95-point win over El Salvador and defeating Chile 109-44 - they should be on course to finish top of Group B.
While not yet official, Canada will be playing El Salvador, who finished bottom of their group after three losses out of three. The only quarter-final tie that has so far been decided.
Hosts Chile are enjoying a successful start to the tournament, registering conclusive wins over El Salvador and Mexico before their final group loss to the USA. Mexico picked up a 48-point win over El Salvador, guaranteeing them at least a third-place finish in Group B.
The quarter-finals will be played on Thursday 20th, with the winners both advancing to the next round and booking their spot in the 2020 Under-17 World Cup. Check back here for updates as the tournament moves on, while full information on every game can be found on the official tournament website.
Picture: FIBA.com
