BANGKOK, THAILAND (July 21, 2019) – Canada defeated Mozambique 60-59 on Sunday morning on day two of the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2019.

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Taya Hanson led Canada with 19 points and six rebounds in the victory. Christina Morra contributed 12 points while both Aaliyah Edwards and Merissah Russell dropped nine points. Edwards had nine rebounds for the second game in a row and Rusell had eight of her own. Mozambique's Chanaya Pinto recorded a game-high 23 points in the loss.

Canada started strong holding Mozambique off to just three points for the first half of the frame. They continued to find success at the basket for the second half of the quarter and ended the first up 20-9.

Team Canada entered the second quarter similar to the first. An 8-0 run had the team up 28-9 with 5:45 left on the clock. By the end of the second quarter, the Canadians were up 37-24, their biggest lead at the end of the quarter at the 2019 World Cup so far.

In the third quarter, both Canada and Mozambique scored 19 points. Although Mozambique tied the Canadians in scoring for the quarter, Team Canada still ended the third up by 13 once again. The score entering the fourth quarter was 56-43.

Canada started the fourth quarter up by thirteen but as time progressed, they found it difficult to get their shots to drop. Canada scored just four points in the fourth quarter, with half of them coming from the free-throw line. Scoring 16 points in the fourth, Mozambique managed to cut the deficit down to just one point with thirty seconds remaining on the clock. Though in the last seconds Mozambique’s fourth-quarter comeback fell short and Canada walked away with the victory.

Canada is in Group A along with Latvia, Mozambique and hosts Thailand. Canada earned a historic bronze medal at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2017 in Udine and Cividale del Friuli, Italy. The bronze was Canada’s first medal in eight appearances at the event since it began in 1985. Last summer, the team earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico. Canada is currently ranked 4th worldwide in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE.

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QUOTES

“We did a good job sticking to the game plan in the first half but got away from it in the second which allowed Mozambique back in the game. Our consistency of play will remain a focus as we move on in the tournament.” - Head Coach, Claire Meadows

UP NEXT              

Canada will face Thailand to conclude the group phase on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at 3:15 AM ET. Fans can catch the game streaming live on FIBA YouTube or the Canada Basketball Facebook page.