The Cadette Women’s National Team (U17) lost in the quarterfinals to the United States, 86-45.

Guard/Forward Maël Gilles (Montreal, Que.) & Guard Mikaela Brewer (Barrie, Ont.) led the way in scoring for the Canadians off the bench, with each tallying nine points. Team USA Forward Joyner Holmes (Cedar Hill, TX) led the USA with 24 points (9-15) and five rebounds off the bench while American Guard, Arike Ogunbowale (Milwaukee, WI), chipped in with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four steals.

Head coach Carly Clarke recognizes that the American ball pressure was a major factor in the loss for the Canadian squad. “I thought we had an ok start in today's game against the US but then things broke down pretty quickly when we gave up some offensive rebounds and turnovers against pressure. Against the US you just can't do that because they capitalize on it,” said Clarke.

Gilles echoed her coach’s thoughts on the game.

“We didn't do a great job today of keeping our energy up when things were going badly for us. We didn't seem to want the ball as much as the US,” said Gilles.

Although disappointed, Coach Clarke is not dwelling on the loss; rather she and her team are looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. “Well we know Japan's going to bring some zone and some pressure and we've got to make sure that we take care of the ball, we share the ball and we get good shots,” said Clarke.

With the loss, Canada moves onto the classification round. Canada will look to bounce back and redeem themselves versus a formidable Japanese squad, who are coming off a ten-point loss to Hungary in the Quarter Finals. Competition in Pilsen, Czech Republic continues tomorrow. Tip-off time is TBD. Stay connected and watch the game live at http://www.youtube.com/user/FIBAWorld

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