Game 8

(Photo: FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – With a bronze medal on the line, both Canada and Japan knew what was at stake. Canada was able to keep up with the high-scoring Japan team as Canada scored a team-high 84 points to down Japan, 84-77.

With the win, this marks the first time Canada has medaled in the women world championship age-group event.

"Unbelievable effort...we got down but did not quit.  This group has been resilient the entire time we've been together and today was another great example of that,” said head coach, Carly Clarke. “As we have all tournament, we got meaningful contributions from all twelve players on the team.  This was a great group of people and players to work with and I look forward to watching them continue to develop over the years."

Once again, Canada had contribution from many players. Canada had two players finish with double-doubles, Emily Potter recorded a team-high 17 points and eleven rebounds while Emma Wolfram scored 15 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds. Kia Nurse also scored 14 points in the victory over Japan.

"I am so excited; we won because of teamwork, defensive transition adjustments and overall resiliency,” said Canadian forward, Emma Wolfram. “This whole experience has allowed me to see so many great players from around the world and has motivated me to go back home and get to work.”

Japan had a great performance from Yunika Nakamura who recorded a double-double by scoring a game-high 27 points and adding 12 rebounds in the game.

At the tip, Canada was able to jump to an early lead 9-2 lead 2:30 into the game. The rest of the quarter went back and forth with the game never getting out of reach for either team. By the end of the opening ten minutes, Canada held the 23-20 advantage.

Under 2:00 minutes into the second quarter, Japan was able to hold their first lead in the game from a basket by Yunika Nakamura, Japan held the 27-25 lead at that point. Japan was able to push the pace in the quarter by scoring 31 points compared to Canada’s 17. Japan took the 51-40 lead to the locker room.

After a lacklustre second quarter for Canada, the team was able to bounce back in the third frame. Canada was able to tighten up defensively and the offence was ignited. Canada was able to go on an 8-0 run to tie up the game 56-56 with 4:12 left in the quarter. Not long after that, Canada was able to regain the lead after Emma Wolfram was able to score in the paint to give Canada the 62-60 lead. Canada finished the quarter with a 68-63 lead.

With the game still up for grabs in the fourth, Japan made a push to regain the lead. With 5:59 left in the quarter, Japan was able to make it a one point game 72-71.  This was as close as Japan would get to the lead, as Canada was able to hold on and win 84-77 and capture the bronze medal.

For box score, click here.

This concludes the cadette women’s national team season. The team will compete next year at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship and look to qualify for the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Game 7

(Photo:FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The cadette women’s national team dropped their semi-final game to the USA 84-59. Canada will play the loser between Spain and Japan tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EDT for the bronze medal at the FIBA U17 World Championship.

"We lost to a good basketball team today,” said head coach, Carly Clarke. “I thought we executed well at times, but in the end we turned it over too much and gave up too many offensive rebounds, and their depth wore on us in the second half. We are still very excited for the opportunity to play for a medal tomorrow."

Canada had three players score in double digits including; Kia Nurse (14), Emma Wolfram (14) and Emily Potter (13). Saicha Grant-Allen grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

"We executed well on defense and implement the game plan our coaches put in place,” said Canadian forward, Emily Potter. “We played and did it as a team and really pulled through as a team."

Linnae Harper led the USA with eleven points, while Rebecca Greenwell scored seven points and had a game-high 12 rebounds.

The game began with a high tempo. Canada went on an 11-1 in the middle of the quarter to gain a 13-6 lead. USA was able to bounce back with a 16-3 run to end the quarter. After the opening ten minutes USA led 22-16.

Canada began the second quarter on a 5-0 run, to cut the deficit to one point.  Canada was then able to tie the game after Emma Wolfram hit a jumper, and then Emily Potter gave Canada the 28-26. The lead was short lived, as USA was able to go on a 15-4 run to finish the half. Canada was down 41-32 after the first half.

In the third quarter, Canada’s offence began to slow down. Canada was able to only score eight points in the quarter, compared to USA’s 18 points. In the final 8:02 of the quarter, USA went on a 15-4 run to add to their lead. USA took the 59-40 into the fourth quarter.

With a 19 point lead, the Canadians were unable to fuel a comeback against the Americans. The Americans went on to defeat Canada 84-59.

For box score, click here.

Canada will take on the loser between Spain and Japan tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EDT for the bronze medal. The game can be watched online at FIBAtv.com and can be follow on FIBA Live-Stats.  

Game 6

(Photo: FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The cadette women’s national team walked into enemy territory when they played the hosts, Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the FIBA U17 World Championship. Canada was not phased by the home crowd, as Canada squeaked by with a 56-55 victory.  With the win, Canada advances to the semi-finals against USA on Saturday, August, 25 at Noon EDT tomorrow. The game will be available to watch on FIBAtv.com or follow on FIBA Live-Stats.

"Great battle today, we struggled against their zone early in the game but in the 2nd half our execution really improved and allowed us to make some shots and get rebounds,” said head coach Carly Clarke. “We did a good job in our pressure to change the tempo and get some easy scores."

Canada was led by Kia Nurse, who scored a game-high 18 points and added four steals, while Shay Colley and Emma Wolfram each scored 13 points in the game. Saicha Grant-Allen grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Lisanna De Jonge scored a team-high 13 points for Netherlands.

To begin the game, Canada and Netherlands were involved in a low scoring affair. Neither team were able to separate themselves from each other, as both teams were evenly matched. At the end of the quarter, Canada was up 12-9.

During the second frame, Canada had another tough time scoring points against the hosts as they were only able to score ten points in the frame. With 2:12 minutes left, Netherlands took the lead and held on to it for the rest of the half. At the buzzer Netherlands led 26-22.

In the second half, the game continued to be a tight affair with neither team able to separate themselves from each other. Emily Potter hit a jumper with 2:48 left in the quarter to take the 36-35 lead, but it was short lived as Netherlands scored two quick baskets to take the 39-36 lead to the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, Canada went down 46-40 with 6:45 left in the game. Canada then went on a 12-2 run after Netherlands went up six points to take the lead 52-48 with 2:24 left in the game. Netherlands was able to make it a one point game with eleven seconds left, but Canada was able to hold on for the 56-55 win.

"We executed well on defense and implemented the game plan our coaches put in place,” said Canadian guard Shay Colley. “We played and did it as a team and really pulled through as a team."

For box score, click here.

Game 5

(Photo: FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The cadette women’s national team continued their hot streak by winning their third game when they defeated Korea (1-4) today, 74-61. With the win, Canada (3-2) finishes third place in Group A and qualifies for the quarter-finals, which will be played on Friday. Canada will face the second place finishers in Group B, which will be confirmed after the games are done today.

"It was a great battle for us today.  We turned the ball over too much, but we adjusted and handled Korea's pressure better as the game went on,” said head coach, Carly Clarke. “It was not pretty, but we found a way to get it done.  We are excited to be moving on the quarter-finals and have the opportunity to continually improve."

Canada had two players notch a double-double; Saicha Grant-Allen had a team-high 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau scored 13 points and added ten rebounds. Kia Nurse also scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists.

Heejin Kim scored a game-high 18 points for Japan.

"When we stayed calm and broke the pressure, we got easy baskets.  When we rushed, our decisions and execution were not good enough,” said Canadian forward, Emma Wolfram. “We are very excited to be through to the quarter-finals and we will be ready for any opponent as long as we stay composed and play as a team."

Canada had a quick start to their game against Korea. Canada stormed out to a 13-2 lead to begin the game. Korea was able to respond in the final 3:24 in the opening quarter by going on a 10-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 15-12 for Canada at the end of the opening ten minutes.

Korea was able to carry over their late first quarter run into the second. Korea was down 22-17 at the 6:24 mark of the second frame, but were able to tie the game up at 22-22 and continued onto a 16-2 run to gain the lead. At the end of the half, Korea took the 33-27 advantage into the locker room.

During halftime Canada made adjustments and were able to play their best quarter in the game going into the third. Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau was able to tie up the game for Canada 28-28, 3:29 into the frame. Canada continued on a 13-4 run to extend their lead to nine points heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth, Canada did not allow Korea to get close to their lead. Korea was able to make it a seven point game with under 2:00 to go in the game, but that was as close as they would get. Canada went on to win 74-61.

For box score, click here.

Canada finished third in group A and qualified for the quarter-finals. Canada will take on the second place finishers in Group B. Please check the tournament website to see who Canada will face on Friday.

Game 4

(Photo: FIBA Americas)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The cadette women’s national team got off to a slow start in the tournament, but were able to win back-to-back games to even their record to 2-2 after defeating Mali 77-42 earlier this morning. Canada was able to get off to a great start and never looked back.

"Mali is a team that competes for forty minutes; I thought we did a good job of battling and matching their effort level,” said head coach, Carly Clarke. “We still need to do a better job of taking care of the ball offensively and talking defensively, but I thought we were able to improve our habits today."

Canada had three players score in the double digits including; Kia Nurse (14), Kolbie Orum (13) and Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau (12). Emily Potter was one point shy of recording a double-double, as she recorded a game-high ten rebounds.

Mali was led by Awa Keita who scored a team-high eleven points and added eight rebounds in the game against Canada.

“We were more in control this game and got the post entries that we wanted.  I think we need to get back to communicating more on defense and be stronger with the basketball,” said Canadian forward, Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau.  “To prepare for Korea, we need to be ready for their fast play and to get the ball inside and rebound to use our size advantage."

In the opening frame, Canada started strong by knocking down an early 3-pointer by Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau to give Canada the lead. Mali was able to hang around, but with less than four minutes to go in the quarter, Canada opened the game right open by going on a 14-0 run to finish the frame. Canada owned the 26-6 lead after the opening ten minutes.

In the second quarter, Mali was able to bounce back a little after a very slow start to the game. Mali was able to put up 15 points in the frame to Canada’s 20. At the half, Canada had the 46-21 advantage.

In the third quarter, Canada like the first quarter were able to break open the game once again. Canada was able to open the second half on a 16-2 run to extend their lead to 39 points. At the end of the quarter, Canada had the 68-27 lead.

With the game out of reach, Canada was able to play the entire roster and had eleven different players score in the game. Mali ended up winning the final quarter as they scored 15 points to Canada’s nine. Canada went on to win 77-42.

For box score, click here.

Canada will finish up their group stage schedule with a game against Korea Wednesday, August 22 at 8:15 a.m. EDT. The game will be available to follow on FIBA Live-Stats.

Game 3

(Photo: FIBA Americas)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The Canadian Cadette Women’s National Team played tough defense as they held Belgium (2-1) to shoot only 23 percent from the field, winning their first game at the FIBA U17 World Championship, 50-45. Canada improved their record to 1-2 in the tournament.

"It was great to get a win under our belt.  Our team put together an unbelievable defensive effort and held the tournament leading scorer to single digits,” said head coach, Carly Clarke.  “We literally got contributions from all 12 players, and hopefully this will create some momentum for us as we move forward in the tournament."

Emma Wolfram led Canada with a game-high 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Saicha Grant-Allen grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the game.

“This was our first team win at the World Championship, and we battled for forty minutes to earn it.  Our team defense was the difference, as well as composure,” said Canadian guard, Kia Nurse. “Moving forward, we would like to see us improve our ability to make shots and we are looking forward to a day off to recover and see Amsterdam, and will be ready to come back and win."

In the opening quarter of play, Canada and Belgium were involved in a tight affair with the largest lead in the quarter being four points. Canada’s Christina Buttenham hit a late 3-pointer to give Canada the 15-14 advantage after the opening ten minutes.

Both teams stepped up their defense in the second quarter as both had a hard time scoring. Canada finished with eight points in the quarter and Belgium finished with six points. Belgium hit two late free throws to cut the deficit to Canada to three points at the half, 23-20. In the first half, Canada shot 24 percent from the field, while Belgium shot 13 percent.

The defensive affair continued in the third quarter with Canada holding Belgium to only five points in the frame. Canada entered the fourth quarter with a 34-25 lead. Canada extended their lead to eleven points early in the fourth. Belgium made one last push and cut the deficit to four points, but that was as close as Belgium would get, as Canada went on to win 50-45.

For box score, click here.

Canada will have a day off tomorrow and will resume play on Tuesday, August 21 against Mali (0-3). Tip-off is set for 6:15 a.m. EDT and will be available to follow on FIBA Live-Stats.

Game 2

(Photo: FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Canada was in tough against the high scoring U.S.A. team. Canada was unable to keep up their attack as USA stormed by Canada 86-47. Canada’s record is now 0-2 at the FIBA U17 World Championship, while USA are undefeated, 2-0.

Canada was led by Kia Nurse who scored a team-high eight points and added six rebounds, while Emily Potter grabbed seven rebounds and scored seven points.

The Americans were led by Diamond Deshields who scored a game-high 29 points and added six rebounds and four assists in the victory over Canada.

Canada began the game fine with the high powered American team.  By the end of the first quarter, Canada was only down six points, 18-12. In the second quarter, USA went on a 17-2 run to break the game wide open. At the half, USA led 41-24.

After the half, Canada played a stronger third quarter. Canada scored 14 points, but USA was able to score 17 in the third. USA entered the fourth quarter with a 20 point lead, 58-38. The deficit was too much for Canada to overcome as USA went on to win 86-47.

For box score, click here.

Canada will play Belgium (2-0) on Sunday, August 19 at 3:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be available to follow via FIBA Live-Stats.  

Game 1

(Photo: FIBA)

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The Canadian Cadette Women’s National Team did not get the start they were looking for at the FIBA U17 World Championship, as they lost their opening game 68-55 to Italy. The third quarter was where Italy made their run to separate themselves from the Canadian squad. Italy scored 18 points to Canada’s seven in the quarter and made it difficult for the Canadians to come back from.

The Canadian squad was led by point guard, Kia Nurse (Hamilton, ON) who scored a game-high 20 points and added three rebounds. Saicha Grant-Allen (Hamilton, ON) had a game-high 12 rebounds in the loss to Italy.

"Italy shot the ball extremely well today and that dejected us a bit, which allowed them to slow down the tempo,” said head coach, Carly Clarke.  “We definitely showed some nerves, but it is a long tournament and we will learn from this, make some adjustments, and comeback ready to play the way we know we are capable of."

In the opening half, Canada and Italy were neck and neck with each other. In the first quarter Italy started the game on a 6-0 run, but Canada seemed to calm their nerves and were able to battle back into the game. By the end of the opening ten minutes, Italy had the 18-14 advantage. With less than three minutes played in the second quarter, Hannah Jardine (St. John’s, NL) tied the game and continued to hit a free throw to give Canada the 21-20 advantage. The lead was short lived and by the end of the second quarter, Italy was ahead 35-30.

To begin the second half of play, Italy marched on a 16-3 run to release the game wide open. Canada struggled to put points on the board, as they only scored seven in the quarter. Entering the fourth quarter, Canada was down 53-37. This gave Canada a large task to come back from this deficit. Canada could not find a way to make a run on Italy in the final quarter, as Italy went on to win 68-55.

"I thought our defensive intensity got better as the game went on,” said Canadian forward, Saicha Grant-Allen. “Our communication was strong at some points, but not consistent enough for a World Championship.  We are definitely more motivated than ever to play harder in our next game."

For box score, click here.

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