| FINAL STANDINGS 1. Serbia & Montenegro 2. Russian Federation 3. CANADA 4. China 5. Bulgaria 6. Turkey 7. Australia 8. Ukraine 9. Estonia 10. Germany 11. Sweden 12. Mexico 13. Czech Republic 14. Korea 15. Japan 16. Chinese Taipei 17. South Africa 18. Hong Kong 19. Kazakhstan | CANADIANS Robbie Smart (Napanee, Ont./Carleton) Kyle Russell (Richmond, B.C.) Nate Doornekamp (Napanee, Ont./Boston College) Romauld Augustin (Montreal, Que.) Jon Popofski (Puslinch, Ont.) Josh Poirier (Ottawa, Ont./Carleton) Phil Scherer (Edmonton, Alta.) Pasha Bains (Richmond, B.C.) Jeff Ferguson (Toronto, Ont.) Vidal Massiah (Toronto, Ont.) Velimir Radinovic (Oakville, Ont.) Jason Grant (Scarborough, Ont.) Kevin Hanson – coach Virgil Hill – assistant Scott Locke – manager Geoff Mabey – therapist |
| POOL A | RUS | EST | KOR | RSA | Record | ||||
| Russia | —– | 74-72 | 75-71 | 82-56 | (3-0) | ||||
| Estonia | 72-74 | —– | 96-87 | 59-39 | (2-1) | ||||
| Korea | 71-75 | 87-96 | —– | 80-59 | (1-2) | ||||
| South Africa | 56-82 | 39-59 | 59-80 | —– | (0-3) | ||||
| POOL B | SER | MEX | CTP | Record | |||||
| Serbia & Montenegro | —– | 92-62 | 104-89 | (2-0) | |||||
| Mexico | 62-92 | —– | 99-81 | (1-1) | |||||
| Chinese Taipei | 89-104 | 81-99 | —– | (0-2) | |||||
| POOL C | CHN | TUR | KAZ | Record | |||||
| China | —– | 92-72 | 92-60 | (2-0) | |||||
| Turkey | 72-92 | —– | 89-71 | (1-1) | |||||
| Kazakhstan | 60-92 | 71-89 | —– | (0-2) | |||||
| POOL D | AUS | GER | CZE | Record | |||||
| Australia | —– | 71-68 | 90-87 | (2-0) | |||||
| Germany | 68-71 | —– | 77-73 | (1-1) | |||||
| Czech Republic | 87-90 | 73-77 | —– | (0-2) | |||||
| POOL E | CAN | BUL | HKG | Record | |||||
| Canada | —– | 87-77 | 119-44 | (2-0) | |||||
| Bulgaria | 77-87 | —– | 123-54 | (1-1) | |||||
| Hong Kong | 44-119 | 54-123 | —– | (0-2) | |||||
| POOL F | SWE | UKR | JPN | Record | |||||
| Sweden | —– | 62-78 | 92-67 | (1-1) | |||||
| Ukraine | 78-62 | —– | 53-57 | (1-1) | |||||
| Japan | 67-92 | 57-53 | —– | (1-1) | |||||
| CONSOLATION I | KOR | CZE | RSA | HKG | Record | ||||
| Korea | —– | 128-113 | 104-66 | 113-65 | (3-0) | ||||
| Czech Republic | 113-128 | —– | 107-76 | 117-70 | (2-1) | ||||
| South Africa | 66-104 | 76-107 | —– | 72-55 | (1-2) | ||||
| Hong Kong | 65-113 | 70-117 | 55-72 | —– | (0-3) | ||||
| POOL J | CTP | JPN | KAZ | Record | |||||
| Chinese Taipei | —– | 85-82 | 71-59 | (2-0) | |||||
| Japan | 82-85 | —– | 94-69 | (1-1) | |||||
| Kazakhstan | 59-71 | 69-94 | —– | (0-2) | |||||
| MEDALS K | RUS | CAN | AUS | BUL | GER | EST | Record | ||
| Russia | —– | 92-88 | 73-86 | 88-65 | 79-74 | 74-72 | (5-0) | ||
| Canada | 88-92 | —– | 64-61 | 87-77 | 71-84 | 73-69 | (3-2) | ||
| Australia | 86-73 | 61-64 | —– | 104-97 | 71-68 | 77-78 | (3-2) | ||
| Bulgaria | 65-88 | 77-87 | 97-104 | —– | 79-78 | 85-81 | (2-3) | ||
| Germany | 74-79 | 84-71 | 68-71 | 78-79 | —– | 76-54 | (2-3) | ||
| Estonia | 72-74 | 69-73 | 78-77 | 81-85 | 54-76 | —– | (1-4) | ||
| MEDALS L | SER | CHN | UKR | TUR | SWE | MEX | Record | ||
| Serbia & Montenegro | —– | 93-63 | 74-61 | 100-51 | 90-76 | 92-62 | (5-0) | ||
| China | 63-93 | —– | 75-65 | 92-72 | 82-88 | 100-73 | (3-2) | ||
| Ukraine | 61-74 | 65-75 | —– | 79-59 | 78-62 | 98-72 | (3-2) | ||
| Turkey | 51-100 | 72-92 | 59-79 | —– | 70-67 | 94-73 | (2-3) | ||
| Sweden | 76-90 | 88-82 | 62-78 | 67-70 | —– | 84-74 | (2-3) | ||
| Mexico | 62-92 | 73-100 | 72-98 | 73-94 | 74-84 | —– | (0-5) | ||
| 17-19th | Hong Kong 2 Kazakhstan 0 | |
| 13-16th | Czech Republic 98 Chinese Taipei 86 | |
| 13-16th | Korea 99 Japan 77 | |
| 9-12th | Germany 89 Mexico 61 | |
| 9-12th | Estonia 80 Sweden 70 | |
| 5-8th | Turkey 81 Australia 79 | |
| 5-8th | Bulgaria 74 Ukraine 66 | |
| Semi | Russia 90 China 53 | |
| Semi | Serbia & Montenegro 71 Canada 55 | |
| 17th | South Africa 69 Hong Kong 56 | |
| 15th | Japan 115 Chinese Taipei 105 | |
| 13th | Czech Republic 107 Korea 95 | |
| 11th | Sweden 86 Mexico 81 | |
| 9th | Estonia 80 Germany 78 | |
| 7th | Australia 91 Ukraine 88 | |
| 5th | Bulgaria 76 Turkey 72 | |
| Bronze | Canada 82 China 80 | |
| Final | Serbia & Montenegro 85 Russian Federation 76 | |
In their opener, Canada drubbed Hong Kong 119-44. The Canadians towered over Hong by an average 7 inches and 35 pounds. “We didn’t want to run the score up as much as we wanted to set a goal to stop them defensively,” said coach Kevin Hanson. “I thought our guys maintained defensive composure and really fought to get some stops. I was impressed that we competed for a full 40 minutes.” Seven-footers Velimir Radinovic and Nate Doornekamp towered over the Hong Kong squad, whose tallest player was listed at 6-foot-3. “You always want to play against the best competition,” said Doornekamp, who plays for Boston College, “but it’s still a game we had to win and we won it.” The Canadians got off to a somewhat sluggish start, leading 19-7 after a disorganized first quarter. But a 19-2 run over a five-minute span mid-way through the second quarter set the tone for the lopsided victory. “You’re not used to being that wide open so it’s just a matter of settling down and adjusting to your surroundings,” Doornekamp said. With point spread playing a role in deciding which two teams advance from the three-team pool, Canada was forced to run up the score. The game did give several Canadian players a chance to work on their confidence. Hanson was pleased with his team’s ability to remain focused throughout the one-sided affair: “I thought our guys maintained defensive composure and really fought to get some stops. This was the most unselfish basketball that we’ve played since coming together.” Pasha Bains paced Canada with 19 points on 5-9 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 8 boards and 3 assists. Velimir Radinovic scored 18 on 6-7 from the floor, 6-12 from the line, 12 boards and 2 blocks. Nate Doornekamp scored 15 on 5-10 from the floor, 5-8 from the arc and 10 boards. Jon Popofski scored 15 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Kyle Russell scored 10 on 0-1 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Phil Scherer notched 9 on 3-6 from the arc, 4 boards and 4 assists. Romauld Augustin added 9 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Vidal Massiah notched 7 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 5 boards. Robbie Smart scored 6 on 2-2 from the arc, 3 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Jeff Ferguson scored 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-6 from the line and 9 boards. Josh Poirier added 5 on 1-2 from the floor, 3-5 from the line and 7 boards. Canada shot 27-50 from the floor, 13-35 from the arc and 24-43 from the line, while garnering 65 boards, including 30 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocks, 7 turnovers and 19 fouls. Tat Shing Leung led Hong Kong with 10 on 2-2 from the floor and 2-3 from the arc. Chun Keung Heung added 5 on 2-4 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Kwok Fung Wu added 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc and 2 boards. Chun Hung Leung notched 4, along with 4 boards, Tsz Kwong Yeung 3, along with 3 boards, Yiu Yan Ian Lai 3, along with 5 boards, Kin Man Ching 3, along with 2 boards, Long Hei Lai 3, Wai Lun Alan Tse 3, Man Tak Yung 2, Ho Yin Dave Poon 2, along with 3 boards, and Yiu Wai Law 1. Hong Kong shot 11-39 from the floor, 5-20 from the arc and 7-13 from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 16 turnovers and 31 fouls.
In their second game, Canada dumped Bulgaria 87-77 with some timely three-point shooting and a stingy second-half defence. Tied 39-39 at the half, Canada opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run, extending its lead to 11 points mid-way through the frame before Bulgaria guard Yordan Bozov caught fire, netting 11 points, including a trio of three-point shots, over a two-minute span to pull his squad back within three. But guard Kyle Russell responded to Bozov’s long-range bombing with a three-pointer of his own, and then added two more in succession, including a shot-clock buzzer-beater from well beyond the arc, to restore a seven-point lead heading into the final quarter. Bulgaria seemed to tire in the late minutes, going just seven players deep all game. “I thought that was an outstanding effort from our squad”, said Canadian Head Coach Kevin Hanson. “Our defensive intensity was absolutely tremendous when it had to be”. The focus on defence was stopping Louisville guard Simeon Naydenov, who burned Canada with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the first half alone before being shut down by guard Jon Popofski and forward Vidal Massiah. Naydenov was held off the scoresheet in the second half. “We tried four different guys to stop him and we finally found something that worked”, said Hanson. “I think that was the key in the game”. Russell said “I think we’re heading in the right direction. We definitely haven’t peaked yet which is a good thing. Our best basketball is still ahead of us and that’s where you want to be. You want to get better with every game”. Jeff Ferguson led Canada with 20 points on 8-12 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists. Vidal Massiah added 14 points on 5-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-7 from the line and 4 boards. Kyle Russell scored 11 on 1-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc and 5 boards. Phil Scherer scored 11 on 4-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Velimir Radinovic scored 8 on 3-3 from the floor and 3 boards. Robbie Smart added 7 on 0-1 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists, Nate Doornekamp scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Pasha Bains notched 5 on 2-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Josh Poirier scored 3 on 3-4 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Jon Popofski added 2, while Romauld Augustin was scoreless. Canada shot 26-40 from the floor, 6-21 from the arc and 13-21 from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 15 turnovers and 23 fouls. Yordan Bozov paced the Bulgarians with 23 points, 13 coming in the third quarter, on 4-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 6-8 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Ivan Tiley added 15 on 5-10 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Simeon Naydenov scored 12 on 0-1 from the floor, 1-9 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 11 boards and 6 assists. Manvel Markov scored 11 on 3-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Georgi Davidov added 10 on 3-10 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 2 assists. Deyan Ivanov added 3, along with 3 boards, and Kaloyan Ivanov 3, along with 4 boards, while Atanas Darakchiev, Ivailo Vassilev and Simeon Tsenov were scoreless. Bulgaria shot 16-40 from the floor, 6-17 from the arc and 27-34 from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 1 block, 11 turnovers and 18 fouls.
Canada finishes (2-0) and advances to second round.
In second round pool play, Canada built a 15-point halftime lead and then survived a flurry of last-minute three-pointers to slip past Estonia 73-69. Estonian forward Leho Kraav hit his first three-point shot of the game with one minute remaining to cut the Canadian lead to four (67-63). Kraav then hit another triple at the 20-second mark to again keep Estonia within four points at 70-66. A pair of free throws from point guard Rob Smart restored a six-point cushion, but Estonia responded once more, this time cutting the deficit to three points (72-69) when forward Andre Parn hit from long range. Canadian forward Jeff Ferguson made good on one of two bonus free throws with five seconds remaining and Estonia failed to get off another shot. “I think we’ve got to do a better job of finishing games”, said Canadian forward Vidal Massiah of Toronto, whose three-pointer with just under three minutes remaining snapped an 11-2 Estonia run. “We got a little bit complacent at halftime and came out sluggish and gave them some confidence. They hit a couple of shots and guys started to get hot”. For the third consecutive game Canada used all 11 players for significant minutes, something that Head Coach Kevin Hanson thinks will help the squad as this marathon tournament progresses. “This is the time when it becomes a grind”, said Hanson, whose team could play as many as eight games in 10 days depending on how far they advance. “Everyone was a bit cranky today and I think it showed a little on the court. We’re winning games so we have to remain positive to take us to the next level”. Vidal Massiah and Jeff Ferguson each scored 14 for Canada. Massiah scored 14 on 0-4 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Ferguson scored 14 on 5-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Velimir Radinovic scored 12 on 5-9 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Robbie Smart notched 10 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-8 from the line and 2 boards. Kyle Russell scored 7 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Josh Poirier notched 6 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 7 boards. Nate Doornekamp scored 5 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards. Phil Scherer added 3, along with 2 boards, and Pasha Bains 2, along with 2 boards, while Jon Popofski and Romauld Augustin were scoreless. Augustin nabbed 2 boards. Canada shot 16-35 from the floor, 7-22 from the arc and 18-23 from the line, while grabbing 35 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 16 turnovers and 23 fouls. Tarmo Kikerpill paced Estonia with 21 points on 4-8 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 7-8 from the line and 7 boards. Andre Parn added 15 on 3-8 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 2 assists and 2 steals. Ardo Armpalu scored 10 on 4-6 from the floor, 2-6 from the line and 5 boards. Leho Kraav notched 7 on 0-5 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 7 boards. Heiko Rannula added 7 on 2-4 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc. Gregor Arbet added 4, along with 2 boards, Marek Doronin 4 and Tanel Kaljula 1, while Heiko Niidas, Kristjan Kangur, Erik Dorbek and Veljo Vares were scoreless. Estonia shot 15-38 from the floor, 8-22 from the arc and 15-24 from the line, while grabbing 23 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass. They garnered 5 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 13 turnovers and 22 fouls. Ferguson entered the game late in the first half after the team manager retrieved his forgotten shoes from the athletes’ village.
Canada then dropped a 92-88 triple overtime decision to Russia. The Canadians took the lead late in the second quarter and built it to nine points (67-58) with less than three minutes remaining in the final frame. The game was sent into overtime as four different Russian players scored down the stretch to tie the contest. Trailing 71-68 late in the first overtime, Canadian guard Vidal Massiah drained a three-point shot to tie, then battled for a defensive stop at the buzzer, to extend the game. Massiah looked to be the hero again in the second extra period, swishing a step-back 12-footer that gave Canada an 80-78 lead with six seconds remaining. Russian guard Sergey Bykov immediately answered Massiah’s shot by driving the length of the court for a lay-up at the horn. Massiah hit a pair of free throws to give Canada an 85-83 edge midway through the third overtime but fouled out on the next series, becoming one of three Canadian starters to foul out in overtime. Russia took back the lead with two minutes to play and ended the game on a 9-3 run. “That was a tough game”, said Massiah, who led Canada with 21 points, eight coming in overtime. “They’re a real good team. We obviously would have liked the win but I think we’ll learn from it”. The affair looked more like a wrestling match at times as both teams tried to take full advantage of the more lenient international rules. There was also a carry-over of animosity stemming from a heated warm-up game these two teams played a week ago. Canadian Head Coach Kevin Hanson had warned his squad about being mentally prepared. “Knowing that we had such a physical battle with them last time, we wanted to make sure that they didn’t get in our heads and that we were able to execute and I don’t think we did that”, said Hanson. “The guys worked extremely hard but didn’t necessarily work smart at times. We had several chances to win that game and hurt ourselves by making poor decisions”. Serguei Bykov led Russia with 19 points on 3-11 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc, 8-10 from the line and 4 steals. Denis Karpov added 16 on 1-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 3-5 from the line and 3 boards. Igor Zamanskiy scored 15 on 4-8 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 1-5 from the line and 9 boards. Alexei Zozulin scored 14 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Konstantin Nesterov added 10 on 3-9 from the floor, 4-5 from the line and 2 steals. Alexei Savcov notched 7 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-6 from the line and 3 boards. Daniel Soldatov scored 6 on 1-4 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 2 boards. Vladimir Diachok added 5 on 0-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 3 boards, while Audrey Vachmianin, Andrey Andruschchenko, Andrei Ovechkov and Dmitriy Cheremnykh were scoreless. Russia shot 15-45 from the floor, 10-32 from the arc and 26-37 from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 5 steals, 7 blocks, 11 turnovers and 28 fouls. Vidal Massiah paced Canada with 21 points on 2-7 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 8-10 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Romauld Augustin added 13 on 2-2 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 3-3 from the line. Jeff Ferguson scored 13 on 4-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-5 from the line and 12 boards. Nate Doornekamp scored 12 on 4-8 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 9 boards. Kyle Russell scored 10 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 5 boards. Robbie Smart scored 8 on 1-5 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Velimir Radinovic scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 10 boards. Josh Poirier scored 3, while Phil Scherer, Jon Popofski and Pasha Bains were scoreless. Canada shot 17-37 from the floor, 9-29 from the arc and 23-29 from the line, while garnering 50 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, 16 turnovers and 34 fouls.
Canada clinched a berth in the medal round as Jeff Ferguson hit a pair of clutch shots in the final minutes to the squad to a 64-61 win over Australia. With the game tied at 60, Ferguson banked in a tough turnaround seven-footer to give Canada the lead. After Australia’s Luke Schenscher, one of seven NCAA Division I players on the squad, went 1-for-2 from the free throw line, Ferguson drained a jump shot from just inside the three-point arc to give Canada a 64-61 lead with one minute to play. Both teams missed shots in the final minute with Australia coming up short at the buzzer. “As a whole, we didn’t play up to par today,” said Ferguson. “I just felt like I was in a rhythm and my team was backing me so were we able to pull it off.” The 6”9’, University of Missouri forward started the game on a tear, combining with Carleton guard Rob Smart to score 15 of Canada’s first 20 points as the Canadians opened up an early 20-8 lead, the biggest of the game for either team. The Aussies battled back, taking their first lead early in the third quarter, and stretching it to four points (46-42) midway through the frame. With momentum shifting in Australia’s favour, Ferguson sank back-to-back 15-foot jump shots to pull Canada even, a consistent theme on the night. “We were fortunate that Jeff came to play today,” said Canadian coach Kevin Hanson. “He was absolutely outstanding. He kept us in the game and almost single-handedly won it for us.” Jeff Ferguson led Canada with 24 points on 9-17 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 6-8 from the line and 15 boards, including 11 on the defensive glass. Robbie Smart added 8 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Vidal Massiah scored 6 on 3-6 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Romauld Augustin added 6 on 0-1 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 3 boards. Nate Doornekamp scored 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 7 boards. Velimir Radinovic added 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 7 boards. Phil Scherer 3, along with 2 boards and 2 assists, Kyle Russell 2, along with 4 boards, Pasha Bains 2, along with 2 assists, and Josh Poirier 1, while Jon Popofski was held scoreless. Canada shot 19-43 from the line, 4-25 from the arc and 14-18 from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 7 steals, 15 turnovers and 18 fouls. Luke Schenscher led Australia with 14 points on 3-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 7 boards and 3 blocks. John Philip added 12 on 3-8 from the floor, 6-6 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Timothy Benhrendorff scored 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Drew Williamson scored 7 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 5 boards and 3 assists. Brendan Clowry added 7 on 3-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Clint Reed added 5 on 2-3 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Ryan Thompson added 4, along with 2 boards, and Huw Wardrope 4, along with 3 boards, while Jonathon Shepherd and Mitchell Brennan were scoreless. Australia shot 18-45 from the floor, 2-18 from the arc and 17-20 from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 16 turnovers and 17 fouls.
Canada then dropped an 84-71 decision to Germany. Having already qualified for the semis, Canada eased off the pedal and trailing 46-27 at the half. “The positive is that we rested some guys and no one got hurt,” said coach Kevin Hanson. “I think the guys were looking past Germany and it will be a good wake-up call for us. The guys made a commitment in the locker room after the game to leave their hearts on the floor tomorrow. It’ll be a big test but we’ll be prepared.” Gordon Geib leads Germany with 22 points on 5-10 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 6-7 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Alexander Seggelke added 13 on 4-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 4-6 from the line. Daniel Strauch added 12 on 2-6 from the floor, 8-8 from the line and 2 boards. Johannes Herber scored 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Johannes Strasser added 9 on 3-4 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 0-2 from the line and 2 assists. Waldemar Buchmiller scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor, 2 boards and 3 assists. Kelubia Ekoemeye added 5 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Lars Gruebler added 4, along with 6 boards and 2 assists, and Robert Dill 3, along with 5 boards, while Andreas Bloch, Peter Fehse and Guido Gruenheid were scoreless. Germany shot 20-46 from the floor, 6-12 from the arc and 26-37 from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 9 steals, 6 blocks, 17 turnovers and 26 fouls. Pasha Bains paced Canada with 15 points on 1-5 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 4-6 from the line and 3 boards. Vidal Massiah added 13 on 1-5 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Velimir Radinovic scored 12 on 4-11 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 8 rebounds. Nate Doornekamp scored 10 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 11 boards. Jeff Ferguson scored 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-6 from the line and 5 boards. Jon Popofski scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 assists. Josh Poirier added 3 on 0-2 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 8 boards. Romauld Augustin scored 3 on 0-3 from the floor, 1-6 from the floor and 6 boards, while Phil Scherer, Robbie Smart, and Kyle Russell were scoreless. Smart dished 5 assists. Canada shot 15-47 from the floor, 7-27 from the arc and 18-25 from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 23 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 20 turnovers and 31 fouls.
Canada finishes at (3-2) in pool, tied with Australia for second place, but qualifies for the medal round by virtue of their win over the Aussies.
In the semi-finals, Serbia & Montenegro ended Canada’s dreams of gold with a convincing 71-55 victory. “Everyone knew that they were a good team and that we’d have to be on our ‘A’ game to have a chance, and we weren’t,” said coach Kevin Hanson. The Canadians slowed the pace to their liking in the first frame, grinded out a 14-13 lead at the quarter break. With the lead, Canada became the only team in the tournament to lead Serbia after any quarter. Serbia bothered the Canadian shooters with some tight checking in the second frame, holding them to a tournament-low seven points. The opposition also took full advantage of nine Canadian turnovers to take a 32-21 lead at halftime. Canada closed the gap to eight points (28-36) with six minutes remaining in the third quarter on a Vidal Massiah’s lay-up, but that was as close as the Canadians would get. Serbia extended its lead to 19 points (59-38) after the third, and stretched it to as many as 21 points in the fourth. Canada held Serbia to its lowest point total of the tournament, well below its 92-point clip. “I thought we worked really hard and competed well but they’re just a very good basketball team,” said guard Kyle Russell. “Our goal coming in was to medal and we’re still in a position to do that. We’re looking forward to facing China.” Marko Marinovic paced Serbia & Montenegro with 19 points on 2-7 from the floor, 5-9 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists. Bojan Krstovic added 12 on 4-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Vanja Plisnic added 12 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 4-6 from the line and 4 boards. Branko Jorovic scored 11 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 6-8 from the line and 3 boards. Mile Ilic added 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 3 boards. Bojan Popovic added 6 on 0-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 3 boards. Vukasin Mandic added 2, along with 3 boards, and Ivan Todorovic 2, while Nikola Vasic, Milan Majstorovic, Milan Bralovic and Mladen Pantic were scoreless. Serbia & Montenegro hit 11-30 from the floor, 9-23 from the arc and 18-25 from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 12 steals, 10 turnovers and 22 fouls. Velimir Radinovic and Vidal Massiah each scored 11 for Canada. Radinovic scored 11 on 3-8 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 5 boards. Massiah scored 11 on 4-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 0-2 from the line and 5 boards. Jeff Ferguson scored 9 on 4-10 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 8 rebounds. Nate Doornekamp scored 8 on 2-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc 4-5 from the line and 5 boards. Robbie Smart scored 8 on 1-3 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Kyle Russell scored 4 on 0-1 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Pasha Bains added 2, along with 2 boards, and Josh Poirier 2, along with 2 boards, while Phil Scherer, Jon Popofski and Romauld Augustin were scoreless. Scherer nabbed 2 boards, Popofski 2 and Augustin 2. Canada shot 15-35 from the floor, 4-20 from the arc and 13-22 from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 17 turnovers and 19 steals.
In the bronze medal match, Canada nipped China 82-80. “This is an incredible feeling right now,” said post Nate Doornekamp. “Just to represent your country is an awesome experience but we’re really proud that we were able to bring back a medal.” China cut a 15-point Canadian lead to four (76-72) with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game courtesy of an 11-2 run – eight of those points coming from 7-2 centre Zhengdong Tang. China then sliced the margin to two points (79-77) when guard Hongxiang Zhao drained a deep three-pointer with 48 seconds on the clock. A huge offensive rebound from Canadian guard Kyle Russell preserved a crucial possession and guard Rob Smart went 1-for-2 from the free- throw line on a subsequent foul to make it 80-77. Russell then grabbed a defensive rebound off a missed three-point shot on the next possession, was fouled, and hit both free throws to put Canada up five points (82-77) with eight seconds remaining. Zhao nailed another shot from beyond the arc to cut the Canadian lead back down to two points with three seconds to go, but China wasn’t able to foul on the inbounds pass. “The coaching staff is very proud of what these guys were able to accomplish as a team,” said head coach Kevin Hanson. “This summer was dedicated to Jack Donohue and I think Jack would have been very proud of this team – the size of their hearts and the way they competed. These guys showed a lot of class and represented Canada well.” Canada closed out the first half on a 12-2 run that included a pair of Smart three- pointers, taking a 44-34 lead at the break. Back-to-back Ferguson slam dunks mid-way through the third quarter gave Canada its largest lead of the game at 56-41. “This team definitely got along better,” said Russell, one of four team members who also played at the 2001 Universiade in Beijing, China, when Canada finished sixth. “It’s tough when you throw 12 guys together for three weeks to have any camaraderie, but as far as summer teams go, this is the best I’ve ever been on. That closeness definitely translates into success.” Russell will act as Canada’s flag bearer for Sunday’s closing ceremonies. Vidal Massiah paced Canada with 19 points on 6-16 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 6 boards. Jeff Ferguson added 18 on 8-11 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 10 rebounds. Pasha Bains scored 11 on 2-3 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Robbie Smart scored 10 on 1-1 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Nate Doornekamp scored 9 on 4-11 from the floor, 1-3 from the line and 12 boards. Kyle Russell scored 6 on 0-2 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 4 boards. Velimir Radinovic scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the line and 3 boards. Josh Poirier 3 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-3 from the line and 4 boards. Jon Popofski added 1 and Romauld Augustin and Phil Scherer were scoreless. Scherer dished 2 assists. Canada shot 18-45 from the floor, 7-25 from the arc and 13-22 from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 17 turnovers and 22 fouls. Zhengdong Tang led China with 17 points on 6-12 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 12 boards, 3 assists and 6 blocks. Hongxiang Zhao scored 16 on 2-3 from the floor, 4-5 from the arc and 2 assists. Yunsong Zhang notched 12 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Shipeng Wang added 12 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Bo Wang scored 8 on 1-1 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 6-7 from the line. Ke Chen added 8 on 1-4 from the floor and 2-5 from the arc. Dong Liang added 5, along with 5 boards, and Dawai Chen 2 while Qingpen Zhang, Li Yang, Jiang Du and Yuyang Xue were scoreless. China shot 17-38 from the floor, 10-25 from the arc and 16-19 from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 7 steals, 7 blocks, 11 turnovers and 23 fouls.
Kyle Russell was chosen to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies. “It’s a great honour,” said Russell. “To win a medal and then find out right after that you’re going to carry your country’s flag is a pretty special feeling.”