BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (June 4, 2024) - In a balanced scoring effort and strong presence on the glass, Canada came out with a statement 93-54 win over Puerto Rico in game two of group play at the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup 2024.

“I thought our guys showed an incredible amount of toughness and resilience today,” said head coach Ramón Díaz. “We knew we didn’t play like ourselves yesterday, and after we watched film as a group last night and identified some deficiencies, our boys came in today and executed.”

After falling in a close OT game against the Dominican Republic in Game One, Canada came out with energy from the start. Efeosa Oliogu, who finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and five assists, scored the first bucket of the game within seconds of the tip.

Canada quickly got off to an 8-2 start, being aggressive on the offensive glass and scoring in transition. Justus Haseley, who finished with double-digits in game one, recorded three steals, including the following for a bucket on the other end.

Puerto Rico kept it within two possessions for the first quarter, including a floater finish from a between-the-legs pass to Alejandro Aviles, their top-scorer, who finished with 11 points on the day.

Canada began to pull away at the end of the first quarter, finishing with 26 points in the first ten minutes of play. Matthew Dann was Canada’s top scorer after 40 minutes of play, finishing the game with 18 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

“It was a great comeback,” said Dann. “We got 40 mins in, and it was all hard work. Rebounding was our main goal, pushing the ball ahead in transition.”

Canada won the battle on the glass 48-35 and finished with 14 steals playing in transition. 

Jalen Rougier-Roane scored consistently off the bench, finishing with 15 points and 4-6 from the three-point line. Coach Díaz went with an 11-player rotation that saw points scored for every player who stepped on the court.

“I would say the energy we came out with was really high,” said Efeosa Oliogu. “We came out on a loss yesterday in a close game that I know we should have won.” 

“This was just motivation to come out and dominate,” he said. “We should always have this mentality, and we will continue it throughout the tournament.”

Canada is now 1-1 in group play and will play its final game against Venezuela on Wednesday, June 5, at 11:40 a.m. ET / 8:40 a.m. PT. The team will get a rest day on Thursday before its quarter-final matchup on Friday.

Fans can stream the action LIVE on YouTube.

Box Score