SENIOR WOMEN BEST AUSTRALIA 62-55 TO BEGIN ZAFER CUP

(Toronto, Ont. August 22, 2014) – The Senior Women’s National Team opened the Zafer Cup exhibition tournament with a 62-55 win over Australia in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Today was a tremendous team win. We displayed such toughness to defeat a very strong Australian team. I can’t say enough about the resilience and the poise that our team had,” said head coach Lisa Thomaidis.

“We had a great performance from Tamara Tatham but a lot of different players contributed. Our guard play was excellent and I am looking forward to the next games.”

Tatham (Brampton, Ont.) scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory.

Canada won the first quarter 16-14. Forcing turnovers gave the Canadians opportunities at easy baskets early in the game.

Heading in to the locker room, Canada held a 37-32 lead over the Australians, with scoring revolving around points in the paint and two three-pointers from the Senior Women.

The third quarter was a continuation of the solid Canadian defence, holding Australia to only 12 points in the quarter. Canada bumped the margin to six, leading 50-44 with one quarter remaining.

Canada put the Australian team away in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to double-digits halfway through the period. The final score was 62-55.

“We attacked very well today. We got a lot of points in the paint, we were aggressive and got a lot of offensive rebounds,” said Tatham. “Defensively, we stuck to our game plan and came out with physicality. I think we still have little things to improve upon in our execution, but it was a good game for us.”

The next game for Canada will be against the host nation, Turkey. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. EST. For live stream and live stats information please check our Facebook and Twitter feeds approximately 30 minutes before tip.

For Zafer Cup roster information, click here: http://www.basketball.ca/femmes-seniors-s15142&language=en

For the Canada vs. Australia box score, click here: http://live.tbf.org.tr/TBF/netcasting/default.asp?game_number=271&microsite_scope=

For more information, please contact:

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