Canada bounced back from a difficult overtime loss to open the tournament by defeating Korea 68-47 in the second game group play of the U17 FIBA World Championships.

The Cadette Women’s National Team wasted no time getting ahead, as they led 22-5 after the first quarter. The team used a similar formula as they did in the opening game, shooting threes and getting to the free throw line consistently.

“I was pleased with our start tonight. We executed the game plan which was developed because we knew we would face pressure and zone defense. It is nice to get a win and to gain some confidence as we move forward. Tonight all players contributed to the win. Now we focus on playing the host country, the Czech Republic, in a packed house on Canada Day,” said head coach Carly Clarke.

Bridget Carleton was the leading scorer for Canada once again, pouring in a game-high 14 points on 4-8 shooting. Jaelyne Kirkpatrick was brilliant off the bench, contributing to all areas of the game. She finished with six points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and zero turnovers.

Canada’s defence was terrific throughout the game. Korea shot 24% (14-58 FG) and struggled to get good looks at the hoop.

"We had great energy on our bench tonight. There were high fives on the bench, and we were up supporting and encouraging each other. We played unselfishly and responded to the game plan that the coaches laid out for us,” said Hailey Brown, who scored 10 points in the game.

“We passed up good shots to get great shots,” said Mikaela Brewer.

With two games complete, Canada will have a tournament scheduled rest day tomorrow. Their final game of group play is on July 1, where Canada will take on the Czech Republic (1-1). The Czechs lost to Hungary in their most recent game, falling 88-85 in overtime.

As it stands, Canada and the Czech Republic are even in the group at 1-1. Hungary is 2-0 to lead, while Korea is 0-2.

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