Canada Basketball – AYSÉN, CHILE (June 18, 2019) – Canada defeated Puerto Rico 83-40 on Tuesday evening and remain undefeated at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2019.

Click here for the box score.

Leading Canada in the victory was Avianna Thompson who had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Isaline Alexander contributed 11 points and six rebounds, while Isabelle Forsyth delivered nine points and five rebounds in the victory. Puerto Rico’s Jullie Ruiz had 14 points.

A 14-0 run at the beginning of the first quarter quickly set the pace for the rest of the game. With ten fast break points and 12 points off of turnovers in the first quarter alone, Canada showed off strong defensive efforts. By the end of the first quarter, the team significantly withheld Puerto Rico from scoring and was up 23-5.

In the second quarter, the Canadians outscored Puerto Rico 22-11. By the end of the first half, they had forced 19 turnovers and went into the halftime with a 27-point advantage.

Similar to their second quarter, Team Canada outscored Puerto Rico 20-11 in the third quarter. Continuing to extend the growing deficit between the two teams, they headed into the fourth quarter up 56-34.

Four minutes into the fourth quarter Thompson had scored eight points including back to back threes and led the Canadians to their 43-point victory. Not only did the team win, but every player on the 12-woman roster scored in the defeat.

The FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship 2019 will qualify the top-four teams to the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2020.

Canada is in Group B along with Ecuador, Brazil and Puerto Rico. Click here for the full tournament schedule.

Canada earned a silver medal at the FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  This will be Canada’s sixth appearance since FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship began in 2009, with the country medalling in each of their previous five tournaments.

Click here for the roster.

UP NEXT

Canada will now face the 4th place team in Group B in the quarter-finals on June 20, 2019. Fans can catch the game streaming live on FIBA YouTube or the Canada Basketball Facebook page.

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For more information, contact:
Matt Walker, mwalker@basketball.ca