Canada Bounce Back Against Paraguay at the Pan American Games

Canada silence any doubters after their opening loss with a commanding performance over Paraguay where they picked up their first win of the Pan Am Games.

After an uncertain start to the game, Canada went eight points clear after a nine-point run late in the first quarter. Every time they started to build a lead, though, Paraguay came in to close the gap, led once again by Paola Ferrari, who finished with a game-high 28 points.

Consistently finding good looks in the paint, Canada pulled further and further away from their opponents, taking a double-digit lead in the third quarter and a twenty-point in the fourth. A final three from Hanna Hall saw Canada finish the game ahead 90 points to 64.

All twelve Canadian players saw time on the floor, every one getting on the scoresheet. Sami Hill led the scoring with 14 points, while Ruth Hamblin took care of defence in the team's much-needed win.

The second Group B game of the day saw Puerto Rico lead Brazil by thirteen points in the first half, led by Jennifer O'Neill on her way to an impressive 23 points in the contest.

Erika De Souza and Clarissa Dos Santos combined to lift Brazil to the half time lead, then to turn the tables and take a double-digit advantage in the second half. Puerto Rico tried furiously to save themselves at the end, but Brazil kept their unbeaten streak alive with a 64-58 victory.

Meanwhile in Group A, the USA outscored the Virgin Islands 34 points to 10 in the opening quarter, and continued to dominate the rest of proceedings. The Islanders' crumb of comfort was Natalie Day finished with a game-high 20 points, but the USA were completely dominant in this one. Six American players reached double digits and they finished ahead 103 points to 55.

There was controversy on day two as well: a wardrobe error where Argentina brought the wrong uniforms to the game saw them disqualified and Colombia were awarded a 20-0 win. This means Colombia and the USA are left to fight it out for the top spot in the group ahead of the medal round.

The last game of the group stage will see Canada face Puerto Rico - as both teams need one more win to guarantee their spot in the semi finals, this should prove to be a heated match-up and could be the biggest test for Canada so far.

Check back here for the full report of their last game of the group stage, while for more information, visit the official Pan American Games website.

Picture: FIBA.com