| FINAL STANDINGS 1. United States 2. Puerto Rico 3. Argentina 4. CANADA 5. Venezuela 6. Brazil 7. Bahamas 8. Dominican Republic | CANADIANS Henry Bekkering Tristan Blackwood (Toronto, Ont.) Kingsley Costain (Toronto, Ont.) Sean Denison (Trail, B.C.) Kevin Francis (Toronto, Ont.) Garry Gallimore (Ottawa, Ont.) Corey Hallett (Shelburne, N.S.) Shane James (Toronto, Ont.) Lavon Kendall (Vancouver, B.C.) Majak Kou (Hamilton, Ont.) Neil MacDonald (Sydney, N.S.) Sheray Thomas (Montreal, Que.) Dave Crook – coach Chris O’Rourke – assistant Greg Francis – assistant Tim McGarrigle – Guest coach Shawn Mantley – Guest coach Peter Campbell – coaching consultant John Grace – manager Dave Ridgedale – co-manager Guntis Obrascovs – therapist Scott Clark – scout |
| POOL A | ARG | CAN | BAH | DOM | Record | ||
| Argentina | —– | 79-70 | 106-70 | 83-57 | (3-0) | ||
| Canada | 70-79 | —– | 84-66 | 94-74 | (2-1) | ||
| Bahamas | 70-106 | 66-84 | —– | 82-79 | (1-2) | ||
| Dominican Republic | 57-83 | 74-94 | 79-82 | —– | (0-3) | ||
| POOL B | USA | PUR | BRZ | VEN | Record | ||
| United States | —– | 92-79 | 87-64 | 2-0 | (3-0) | ||
| Puerto Rico | 79-92 | —– | 101-96 | 98-80 | (2-1) | ||
| Brazil | 64-87 | 96-101 | —– | 76-68 | (1-2) | ||
| Venezuela | 0-2 | 80-93 | 68-76 | —– | (0-3) |
| 5-8th | Venezuela 82 Bahamas 76 | |
| 5-8th | Brazil 88 Dominican Republic 78 | |
| Semi | United States 86 Canada 63 | |
| Semi | Puerto Rico 73 Argentina 67 | |
| 7th | Bahamas 102 Dominican Republic 81 | |
| 5th | Venezuela 87 Brazil 73 | |
| Bronze | Argentina 78 Canada 70 | |
| Final | United States 97 Puerto Rico 86 | |
In their opener, University of Santa Clara centre Sean Denison 13 points as the Canadian Young Men’s (Under 20) National Team jumped past the Bahamas 84-66. Pepperdine University recruit Kingsley Costain and Loyola University Chicago forward Majak Kou each scored in double figures. Playing on home soil in a major international tournament for the first time in their National Team careers, the Young Men’s National Team stormed out of the gates early, scoring the first seven points en route to a 18-8 lead after 10 minutes of play. Canada continued their dominance in the second quarter as the Under 20 squad opened with a 13-2 run and then used a series of dunks and outside shots to build an insurmountable 44-17 lead at the half. Bahamas regrouped in the second half to outscore Canada 49-40 but their first half deficit was too large to overcome. Sean Denison led Canada with 13 points on 5-13 from the floor, 3-7 from the line and 8 boards. Kingsley Costain scored 12 on 3 -4 from the line 2-3 from the arc and 3 assists. Majak Kou scored 11 on 4-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Sheray Thomas notched 9 on 4-8 from the floor and 7 board. Levon Kendall scored 9 on 5-6 from the line and 8 boards. Kevin Francis scored 8, Garry Doane Gallimore 6, Corey Hallet 4, along with 6 boards, Tristan Blackwood 4, along with 5 assists, Henry Bekkering 3, Neil MacDonald 3 and Shane James 2. Canada shot 25-52 (.480) from the floor, 6-12 from the arc and 16-28 (.570) from the line, while garnering 49 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 21 fouls, 32 turnovers, 14 steals and 3 blocks. Alonzo Hinds led the Bahamas with 27 points on 4-17 from the floor, 5-8 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 5 boards. Doyle Hudson scored 14 on 6-9 from the floor and 8 boards. Mitchell Johnson scored 9, Jeffrey Henfield 5, Magnun Rolle 3, Jeremy Barr 3, Jamal Douglas 2, Lavar Gilbert 2 and John Rolle 1, while Ray Harris, Cory Hepburn and Gjio Bain were scoreless. The Bahamas shot 17-55 (.310) from the floor, 7-28 from the arc and 11-21 (.520) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 21 turnovers, 17 steals and 5 blocks.
Canada won its second game 94-74 over the Dominican Republic to become the first Canadian unit to qualify for an age-specific FIBA World championships. The starting line-up of Tristan Blackwood, Shane James, Garry Gallimore, Sheray Thomas and Levon Kendall set the tone early as Canada held the Dominican Republic scoreless for the opening six minutes while scoring the game’s first 20 points. Ahead 48-31 at the half, Canada traded baskets with the Dominican Republic for the game’s final 20 minutes and never allowed their opposition to significantly cut into their initial 20-point lead. The 94 points scored by Canada tied the record for the most scored by a Canadian team in the history of this event. Sean Denison paced Canada with 15 points on 5-6 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 2 boards. Tristan Blackwood added 11 on 3-5 from the arc and 6 assists. Kevin Francis scored 11 on 5-7 from the floor and 5 boards. Sheray Thomas scored 10 on 5-7 from the floor and 7 boards. Levon Kendall scored 10 on 4-6 from the floor, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Kingsley Costain scored 9 on 1- 3 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 3 assists. Shane James scored 8 on 1 -3 from the arc, 3 -4 from the line and 2 boards. Majak Kou notched 7 on 2-2 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc. Corey Hallet scored 8 on 4-6 from the line and 3 boards. Garry Doane Gallimore scored 3, Henry Bekkering 2 and Neil MacDonald 2. Canada shot 26-41 (.630) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 21-28 (.750) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 22 fouls, 27 turnovers, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Ramon Antonio Ruiz Ramos paced the Dominican Republic with 17 points on 3-9 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 5-7 from the line, 5 boards and 3 steals. Elpidio Manuel Fortuna Lara added 13 on 3-8 from the floor and 3 steals. Juan Pablo Montas scored 13 on 3-5 from the floor and 7-12 from the line, while grabbing 7 boards. Luis Nicolas Santana Reynoso scored 11 on 3-5 from the floor. Jose Guillermo Fortuna Lara scored 7 on 2-6 from the floor. Juan Carlos Paulino Dilone scored 7 on 2-2 from the floor. Leandro Santiago Bonilla scored 3, Cristian Herrera Terrero 2 and Melvyn Manuel Perez Richardson 1, while Socrates Jaquez, Luis Madera and Fernado Arturo Olivero Ortiz were scoreless. The Dominican Republic shot 18-42 (.430) from the floor, 5-22 (.230) from the arc and 23-35 (.660) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 24 fouls, 17 steals, including 7 by Santana Reynoso, and 1 block. “It feels pretty good,” to qualify for the worlds, said coach Dave Crook. “I remember playing at 9 a.m. to decide if we’re going to finish seventh or eighth two years ago. To come out here with 10 of us from that group and win two straight and qualify is pretty exciting.” Scoring on 9 of its first 10 possessions Canada jumped to a 20-0 lead after four minutes. But they got rattled when the Dominican Republic went to a full-court press and forced 14 first half turnovers to reduce the lead to 12. But Canada called a timeout and responded with a 7-4 run triggered by a bucket and free throw by Kevin Francis to take a 48-32 lead at the half. The turnovers continued in the second half but 6-8 forward Sheray Thomas chased down a loose ball to generate a transition layup by Sean Nelson as Canada rebuilt its lead to 65-49. “International basketball is a game of runs and these are good teams. We knew they would make their run but the key was we always responded. But we will be working on our press break.”
In their final round robin start, Canada dropped a 79-70 decision to Argentina and finished in the second in the pool with a (2-1) record. With Canada trailing 69-67 late in the fourth quarter Argentina outscored the host nation 10-3 in the game’s final three minutes to pull away for the victory. To start the game, Canada was led by the play of Kendall as the University of Pittsburgh forward turned in a dominating performance on both ends of the court, posting a line of eight points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the opening 10 minutes to help propel Canada to a 22-19 lead. In the second quarter, Canada continued their hot shooting as Thomas scored the majority of his 13 points in the paint while Majak Kou received the biggest cheers from the crowd with a breakaway dunk and a highlight reel spin move in the key which ended with a finger roll. Tied at 43-43 late in the second quarter, Costain hit a three-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining to put the host nation ahead at the half. Canada shot a blistering 68.0 percent (17-for-25) in the opening 20 minutes while holding Argentina to just 42.4 percent (14-for-33) from the field. The pace of the game slowed considerably in the third quarter as both teams were whistled for several fouls. With Canada forced to rest co-captains Kendall and Garry Gallimore Argentina took advantage and outscored Canada 18-13 in the period for a 61-59 lead heading into the final frame. Sheray Thomas and Levon Kendall each scored 13 to pace Canada. Thomas was 5-7 from the floor, 3-3 from the line and grabbed 5 boards. Kendall was 4-9 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, while garnering 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Kingsley Costain scored 12 on 2-3 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 3 assists. Kevin Francis scored 11 on 2-3 from the floor and 7-8 from the line. Sean Denison scored 5 and grabbed 4 boards. Shane James, Majak Kou and Corey Hallett each scored 4, while Tristan Blackwood and Garry Doane Gallimore each scored 2. Neil MacDonald was scoreless. Canada shot 21-33 (.640) from the floor, 1-8 (.130) from the arc and 25-31 (.810) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 25 fouls, 27 turnovers, 7 steals, including 3 by Denison, and 4 blocks. Carlos Matias Sandes paced Argentina with 18 points on 6-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the line, 7 boards and 4 assists. Alejandro Martin Alloatti added 14 on 4-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 4 boards. Juan Manuel Rivero scored 14 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 4 steals. Jonatan Alberto Treise scored 11 on 2-8 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 3 steals. Leonard Andres Mainoldi scored 11 on 5-8 from the floor and 5 boards. Juan Pablo Figueroa scored 5, Juan Manuel Torres 3 and Jose Enrique Muruaga 3, while Bruno Arnoldo Ingrata and Ernesto Ariel Zago were scoreless. Argentina shot 20-41 (.490) from the floor, 8-24 (.330) from the arc and 15-25 (.600) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 26 fouls, 16 turnovers, 15 steals, including 4 by Rivero and 3 by Triese, along with 1 block.
In the semis, the United States defeated Canada 86-63. The Americans used their skill and depth to pull away in the fourth quarter. Led by the energetic play of Blackwood, Canada hung tough in the first quarter and displayed a gutsy effort on both ends of the floor. Despite playing from behind for the entire period, Canada never let the USA jump out to a big lead and trailed by just two points after 10 minutes of play. With the USA ahead by a score of 24-18 in the second quarter, Canada went on a 9-0 run capped by a Garry Gallimore three-pointer to give the National Under 20 squad their first lead of the game at 27-24 with 6:57 remaining in the half. Tied at 31-31, USA used a pair of back-to-back three-pointers by Paul as part of a 9-1 run to close the quarter and take a 40-32 lead at the break. In the third quarter, the Americans jumped out to a fast start before Canada clawed back to pull within nine points. Despite the mounting pressure from the Canadians, the Americans were able to score some quick buckets near the end of the period for a 65-53 advantage heading into the final frame. Chris Paul paced the U.S. with 19 points on 5-6 from the arc, 6 boards and 8 assists. Justin Gray scored 18 on 2-3 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Curtis Withers scored 11 on 4-6 from the floor and 7 boards. Anthony Tucker scored 9 on 3- 4 from the floor, 3-5 from the line and 5 boards. Sean May scored 9 on 3-10 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 5 boards. Charlie Villanueva scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor. Hassan Adams scored 5, Bracey Wright 4, Mustafadeen Ibn-Jamal Shakur Abudush 2, Adam Morrison 2 and David Padgett 1, while Curtis Sumpter was scoreless. The U.S. shot 20-41 (.490) from the floor, 10-20 from the arc and 16-22 (.730) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 30 fouls, 16 turnovers, 9 steals and 3 blocks. Levon Kendall paced Canada with 15 points on 6-11 from the floor, 3 -4 from the line and 10 boards. Tristan Blackwood scored 11 on 2-3 from the floor and 7-8 from the line. Kevin Francis scored 10 on 3-6 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Neil MacDonald scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 4-8 from the line and 5 boards. Garry Doane Gallimore scored 5 and grabbed 3 boards. Kingsley Costain scored 4, Sheray Thomas 4, Shane James 2, Henry Bekkering 2 and Sean Denison 2, while Majak Kou and Corey Hallet were scoreless. Canada shot 18-39 (.460) from the floor, 1-18 (.060) from the arc and 24-34 (.710) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 19 fouls, 13 turnovers, 6 steals and 2 blocks.
In the bronze medal match, Argentina defeated Canada 78-70. Despite the loss, Canada qualified for the Worlds in Argentina. Trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter, Canada was able to cut the deficit to six on a Kingsley Costain lay-up with just over five minutes remaining but Argentina’s solid three-point shooting kept Canada at bay as the South Americans’ lead was never seriously challenged down the stretch. After trading baskets with Argentina for the majority of the first two quarters, Canada’s opponents went on a 10-2 run to close the half and take a 36-27 lead heading into the break. To start the second half, Canada struggled to make shots in the early going and Argentina’s advantage swelled to as many as 11 points en route to a 52-43 lead after 30 minutes of play. With Argentina, qualifying as host, a fourth Americas berth was up for grabs, which allowed Canada to sneak into the Worlds draw. Coach Dave Crook called it good preparation for the worlds. “It’s good for them to understand where they are and where they have to be in a year. It’s not like there’s soft games out there. These are the best teams in the world and you’re going to get any easy matchup.” Juan Pablo Figueroa paced Argentina with 19 points on 5-8 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 3-6 from the line. Alejandro Martin Alloatti scored 17 on 5-13 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 6 boards. Leonardo Andres Mainoldi notched 14 on 4-8 from the floor, 6-12 from the line and 6 boards. Ernesto Ariel Zago scored 8 on 4-4 from the floor and 5 boards. Jonatan Alberto Treise scored 7 on 1-7 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Jose Enrique Muruaga scored 5, Bruno Arnaldo Ingrata 3, Juan Manuel Rivero 2, Axel Weigand 2 and Bruno Luis Oprandi 1. Argentina shot 21-40 (.530) from the floor, 6-18 from the arc and 18-28 (.640) from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 30 fouls, 15 turnovers and 13 steals, including 5 by Triese. Kingsley Costain paced Canada with 12 points on 3-4 from the floor and 6-6 from the line. Sheray Thomas scored 10 on 1-5 from the floor and 5-8 from the line. Levon Kendall scored 10 on 4-7 from the floor and 6 boards. Sean Denison scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor and 4-6 from the line. Garry Doane Gallimore, Shane James and Henry Bekkering each scored 5, Majak Kou 4, Kevin Francis 4, Corey Hallet 4 and Neil MacDonald 3, while Tristan Blackwood was scoreless. Canada shot 17-33 (.520) from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 30-44 (.680) from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 22 turnovers, 5 steals and 3 blocks.