Canadian men drop opener at Commonwealth Games
The Canadian men opened the Commonwealth Games 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball tournament with a 13-11 loss to Australia on Friday.
Colin Higgins paced Team Canada with seven points and six rebounds.
“We were down early, fought back,” Higgins explained. “They fought back on us, and it was a close game there in the end. Hopefully, we can learn from this game and get a win on Saturday.”
Bo Hedges added three points and two rebounds in the loss.
“It was good; it was good to get pushing after being here for a few days. It would’ve been nice to come away with the victory, but Australia played well and hit some good shots,” said Hedges. “Short turn around, they’re fast games, and it’s a fast tournament as well, so we’ve got to get going.”
Wheelchair basketball is making its debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 3×3 format and is part of an integrated program with standup 3×3 basketball.
“It’s very cool to be out there and just kind of inter-mixing and playing right after them or before them. It’s a great opportunity for all of us to learn from one another,” said Hedges. “It was fun out there and lots happening really quickly.”
Up next, the men conclude the Pool Round on Saturday when they face Northern Ireland at 3:20 p.m. ET. The women begin their pool round play on Saturday morning against Kenya at 11:45 a.m. ET.
Full stats from Friday’s game can be found here.
ABOUT WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians from grassroots to high performance. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem around the world for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last seven Paralympic Games. For more information visit www.wheelchairbasketball.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Dhiren Mahiban
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
416-574-6682
dmahiban@wheelchairbasketball.ca
Caroline Sharp
Media Attaché – Wheelchair Basketball
Email: Caroline.Sharp@athletics.ca
(613) 323-5605