Canada (1-0) vs. Sweden (0-1)

When: Saturday, Feb. 8 2:35 P.M. ET (8:35 P.M. local)

Where: Versluys Dôme – Ostend, Belgium

Watch: CBC* (on delay), CBC Gem / CBC Sports (live), DAZN, ESPN + (USA)

Strong start for Team Canada at FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Canada got off to a great start in Ostend, opening tournament play with a 61-56 victory over host team Belgium on Thursday. Though Canada led for much of the game, things went down to the wire, with Belgium getting within two points with 12 seconds remaining. Canada’s Kayla Alexander calmly sank a pair of free throws with 10 seconds on the clock, Canada’s defence forced a turnover, and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe sealed the win with a free throw. Kia Nurse led all scorers in the victory, scoring 19 points for Canada.

On the cusp: Thanks to Thursday’s victory, Team Canada needs just one more win to punch their ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Basketball Competition.  

Canada would also qualify with a defeat of no more than 4 points, if Japan beats Belgium.

Where to watch: CBC Sports will broadcast all three of Canada’s games and have pre-game, halftime and post-game shows hosted by Andi Petrillo, featuring analysis from two-time Canadian Olympic national team player Lizanne Murphy and former national team player/coach and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame member Bev Smith.

Fans can also catch the action streaming live in Canada on the CBC Gem app and DAZN.  ESPN+ will carry Canada’s games in the United States.

* The CBC TV broadcast of the Canada vs. Sweden match will be shown on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 a.m. ET, immediately following Hockey Night in Canada.

Things to know heading into Game 2 against Sweden:

Alexander key in return: While Team Canada got the W on Thursday, it was extra special for centre Kayla Alexander who was making her return to the court after a four-month absence as she rehabbed from a knee injury. Alexander was fantastic in her return, providing a huge boost for the Canadians off the bench as she scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half to help Canada open a 16-point lead in the second quarter. She shot 5-for-7 from the floor, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, as she extended Canada’s lead to four points with 10 seconds remaining. Though Belgium continued to push until the final buzzer sounded, Canada never trailed after the opening quarter.

Calm under pressure: Thursday’s win was a great test for Team Canada.  Playing in front of a sold-out home crowd for host Belgium, the team kept its cool, even when Belgium trimmed their deficit down to two points with 12 seconds remaining.

“[There was] a lot of noise,” Kia Nurse said of the environment in the arena. “Every single shot that goes in feels like the game-winning shot. It’s being able to maintain composure and we drew on that a lot with the vets on our roster, the number of us who have been through that experience before to really stay calm through the game as it progressed.”

Though the team had players flying in to Belgium from near and far for the tournament, Nurse was pleased with how the team as a whole has adjusted to FIBA play as well as new time zones in their first game of the tournament. “I think we did a really, really good job pushing as the game progressed to figure that stuff out for ourselves,” she said.

Remaining schedule: Canada will face Sweden (ranked No. 22 in the FIBA World Rankings Presented by Nike), on Saturday.

They will conclude their play at the FIBA Women’s Qualifying Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 9 against Japan.  While Canada defeated Belgium 61-56 on Thursday, Sweden fell to Japan 75-54.  Sweden struggled from long range in the loss, finishing just 1-for-16 from beyond the arc on Thursday. Japan was led by a 21-point effort from Ramu Tokashiki and 18 points from Nako Motohashi. Sweden’s leading scorer in the loss was Kalis Loyd who had 18 points, while Amanda Zahui added 12.

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