Canada Face Puerto Rico, Strive to Keep Pan Am Hopes Alive
It was the last chance saloon to make it to the medal round - both Canada and Puerto Rico went into the final Group B matchup of the Pan American Games with one win and one loss. The winner would make it to the medal round, dashing the hopes of the loser. Everything was to play for in this final showdown in Lima.
Canada put the first points on the board, but Puerto Rico were quick to assert themselves in the game: after an early ten-point unbeaten run, they maintained a double-digit lead for the second quarter and led 40-28 at half time.
With good second-half shot selection, Canada were able to close the gap to two in the fourth quarter. The tension did not last long, though, as Puerto Rico continued their relentless offence - heavily outscoring Canada from the field and dropping ten three-pointers - with Jazmone Gwathmey picking up the last of her 22 points in the final stages of the game.
Jamie Scott led the scoring for Canada with 16 points, while Shaina Pellington and Sami Hill both reach double digits as well, with 14 and 11 points respectively. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to change the team's fortunes. With Puerto Rico winning 72-63, Canada were eliminated from medal contention.
They will have to make one final appearance in the competition, though, where they can salvage some pride in the fifth place classification game against Argentina, who secured third place in Group A after a characteristically attacking show against the Virgin Islands.
In their final group game, the Virgin Islands saw an amazing performance from Anisha George, who had 32 points and 14 rebounds - but even that would not be enough to overcome Argentina, who had eleven three-pointers and saw a team-high 19 points from Victoria Llorente. Winning 73-59, the South Americans advance to the fifth place game.
Meanwhile, the Virgin Islands will have a chance to get a consolatory win in the seventh place game. Their opponents will be Paraguay, who suffered a heavy loss to Brazil in their last Group B game, 81 points to 37. Stephanie Soares was the scoring leader with 15 points off the Brazilian bench.
Winning all three group games, Brazil advance to face the second place team of Group A - either Colombia or the USA.
The battle for Group A supremacy turned out to be highly one-sided - the USA dominated Colombia on both ends of the floor early on and led 47-21 at half time. The only Colombian player to reach double digits, Jenifer Munoz gave her all to try and inspire something for her team in the second half, but while they ate into the American lead, the USA kept finding scoring chances to keep Colombia at a distance.
Beatrice Mompremier led all with 15 points for the USA as they top their group with a final 75-63 win.
The semi finals then will both be neighbourly affairs: Brazil will play Colombia while Puerto Rico face the USA. While Canada can not defend the gold medal they won in 2015, they can get one last win for the road against Argentina and whatever comfort that comes from that.
A full report of the fifth place game will appear here once the final result is in. Until then, more information can be found on the official Pan American Games website.
