MANILA, PHILIPPINES (July 9, 2016) - Team Canada secured a spot in the finals at the 2016 FIBA Olympics Qualifying Tournament, beating a tough New Zealand squad, 78-72. They are now one win away from qualifying for Rio.

"I told them to breathe just to relax, we got caught up a little bit and they hit a three which hurts us. At the end of the game our execution, spreading the floor and being able to use our athleticism was our strength," said head coach, Jay Triano.

Melvin Ejim put in work to secure the win, scoring 13 points with seven rebounds, a monster block against New Zealand's Webster and scoring two and-one’s in the fourth quarter. Cory Joseph continues to lead Canada in scoring, putting up 23 points and using his quickness to be an unstoppable force when attacking the basket. Tristan Thompson was FIBA’s player of the game, scoring 13 points, 10 rebounds and was +20 in efficiency. For full box score, Click here.

"We have so many talented players, but Melvin Ejim was just our energy, he is a fierce competitor on the glass, he was a fierce competitor defensively and he was extremely valuable for us tonight," said Triano.

The two teams got out to a competitive start but Canada’s momentum on offensive was strong while New Zealand struggled to find their rhythm. Canada shot 70% from from the 2-point range and was shooting 60% from the 3-point line. After 10 minutes of play, New Zealand pulled together to led 23-25.

In the second quarter the two squads were evenly matched both chipping away to try and take the lead. Canada went on a 16-3 run to lead 39-25. New Zealand clawed back and tied the game 42-42 at the half.

Joseph had ten points and four rebounds during an evenly matched third quarter, as both teams battled for ten minutes, Canada was able to take back the lead 58-54.

The fourth quarter was an exciting one, with both teams showing a tremendous amount of effort and heart. Canada clinched the win 78-72.

"Coach Jay put a team together to win, I’m glad I was able to join and be a part of this, we have one more game. We broke this tournament down into four quarters it’s the fourth quarter we have to be prepared we’re ready, we came this far and we put our self in a position to win," said Thompson.

Canada will compete in the Finals tomorrow, July 10th at 9:00 am ET, where they will compete to qualify for the Olympic Games against either France or Turkey. Follow @CanBBall for updates.

For more information about Rio qualification, click here

For full FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Roster, click here.

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