MANAGUA, Nicaragua (Aug. 22, 2025) — Canada opened the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025 with a decisive 88-54 victory over Venezuela on Friday, led by strong debuts from Kyshawn George and Leonard Miller.

George, making his first appearance with the Senior Men’s National Team, scored a game-high 18 points to go along with four steals and two blocks.

“Really proud of our effort, especially defensively — we really turned up the pressure on Venezuela,” said head coach Nathaniel Mitchell. “We controlled the paint, rebounded well and moved the ball.”

Miller also impressed in his debut, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists, with the majority of scoring coming in the paint. Mfiondu Kabengele added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. “I’m proud of the guys,” Kabengele said. “We had a really good training camp, and to see flashes of that execution carry over into the game was really encouraging.”

Canada built a 26-13 lead after the opening quarter and never looked back. The Canadians dominated inside, outscoring Venezuela 38-18 in the paint, while also holding a 12-6 edge in fast-break points and a 35-13 advantage from the bench.

Trae Bell-Haynes directed the offence with nine assists, bringing his career total with the program to 108. Eleven Canadians scored in the win, with four reaching double figures, as the team recorded 24 assists on 34 made field goals. The 34-point margin was Canada’s largest AmeriCup victory since 2015, while George’s 18 points tied for the ninth-most in a senior debut in program history.

Canada will face Panama on Saturday at 11:10pm ET / 8:10pm PT live on courtside1891.