| FINAL STANDINGS 1. Argentina 2. Brazil 3. Dominican Republic 4. Puerto Rico 5. Venezuela 6. CANADA 7. Uruguay 8. Panama 9. Cuba 10. Paraguay | CANADIANS Jermaine Anderson (Toronto, Ont.) Joel Anthony (Montreal, Que.) Denham Brown (Toronto, Ont.) Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, Ont.) Carl English (Paradise, Nfld.) Jeff Ferguson (Toronto, Ont.) Cory Joseph (Pickering, Ont.) Levon Kendall (Vancouver, B.C.) Kelly Olynyk (Kamloops, B.C.) Andy Rautins (New York, NY) Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto, Ont.) Jesse Young (Peterborough, Ont.) Leo Rautins – coach Renato Pasquali – assistant Scott Roth – assistant Greg Francis – assistant Sam Gibbs – therapist Dr. Andrew Pipe – physician Fatih Akser – video coordinator Mat Yorke – manager Maurizio Gherardini – managing director |
| POOL A | DOM | BRA | VEN | CAN | CUB | Record | |||||
| Dominican Republic | —– | 79-74 | 92-89 | 72-73 | 90-60 | (3-1) | |||||
| Brazil | 74-79 | —– | 92-83 | 69-57 | 93-83 | (3-1) | |||||
| Venezuela | 89-92 | 83-92 | —– | 103-98 | 106-69 | (2-2) | |||||
| Canada | 73-72 | 57-69 | 98-103 | —– | 84-62 | (2-2) | |||||
| Cuba | 60-90 | 83-93 | 69-106 | 62-84 | —– | (0-4) | |||||
| POOL B | ARG | PUR | URU | PAN | PAR | Record | |||||
| Argentina | —– | 81-74 | 86-51 | 90-71 | 84-52 | (4-0) | |||||
| Puerto Rico | 74-81 | —– | 74-64 | 99-66 | 101-55 | (3-1) | |||||
| Uruguay | 51-86 | 64-74 | —– | 77-61 | 79-66 | (2-2) | |||||
| Panama | 71-90 | 66-99 | 61-77 | —– | 89-86 | (1-3) | |||||
| Paraguay | 52-84 | 55-101 | 66-79 | 86-89 | —– | (0-4) | |||||
| POOL C | ARG | PUR | DOM | BRZ | VEN | CAN | URU | PAN | Record | ||
| Argentina | —– | 81-74 | 84-58 | 71-73 | 111-93 | 79-53 | 86-51 | 90-71 | (6-1) | ||
| Puerto Rico | 74-81 | —– | 79-62 | 72-94 | 94-82 | 79-74 | 74-64 | 99-66 | (5-2) | ||
| Dominican Republic | 58-84 | 62-79 | —– | 79-74 | 92-89 | 72-73 | 84-76 | 92-68 | (5-2) | ||
| Brazil | 73-71 | 94-72 | 74-79 | —– | 92-83 | 69-57 | 93-66 | 90-65 | (6-1) | ||
| Venezuela | 93-111 | 82-94 | 89-92 | 83-92 | —– | 103-98 | 92-80 | 110-74 | (3-4) | ||
| Canada | 53-79 | 74-79 | 73-72 | 57-69 | 98-103 | —– | 70-68 | 89-91 | (2-5) | ||
| Uruguay | 51-86 | 64-74 | 76-84 | 66-93 | 80-92 | 68-70 | —– | 77-61 | (1-6) | ||
| Panama | 71-90 | 66-99 | 68-92 | 65-90 | 74-110 | 91-89 | 61-77 | —– | (1-6) |
| Semi | Argentina 81 Puerto Rico 79 | |
| Semi | Brazil 83 Dominican Republic 76 | |
| Bronze | Dominican Republic 103 Puerto Rico 89 | |
| Final | Argentina 80 Brazil 75 | |
The squads were competing for two automatic berths in the 2012 Olympics in London, England. The teams that finished 3rd-5th qualified for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
In their opener, Canada was clocked 69-57 by Brazil. Canadian coach Leo Rautins said troops were more the victim of bad luck than bad execution. “We just kind of got out of some of the stuff we did and made a few bad decisions and missed shots that we normally make. We had some good opportunities, some good looks and we certainly got plenty of shots up, especially early and that could’ve made a major separation between us and Brazil early in the game and we just didn’t get those shots to go down. Thinking positively, defensively we did a lot of good things and we can be a very, very good defensive team if we stay focused and stay within what we’re trying to do.” Point guard Jermaine Anderson said “we knew coming in that it was going to be a tough game. We knew they play very physical and they like to run a lot of pick-and-rolls. We had a good game plan but there was that five-minute stretch in the first half and then that five-minute stretch in the second half and that might have cost us the game.” Canada led 17-12 after one quarter, capped by an and-1 drive to the hoop from Anderson as he was fouled with less than 10 seconds to play. Brazil came out gunning in the second quarter, going on a 14-2 run to start the period, putting them up 26-19 with 4:52 left, forcing Rautins to take a timeout. Canada calmed down a little and chipped away at the lead, ending the half down only 33-28 after a quick crossover move from Joseph allowed him to get to the hoop and lay the ball in just before the buzzer. In the seesaw third quarter, Canada briefly held the lead after a nice put-back layup from Joel Anthony put the team up 39-38 with 4:39 left. That lead would quickly be given up, however, and the quarter would end with Brazil leading 47-46. The final quarter proved to be the major difference in the game. Canada did manage to take the lead after an Anderson triple with 8:56 to play, making the score 50-47. But Brazil took it right back after Guilherme Giovannoni answered Anderson’s shot with a three-pointer of his own, sparking a 15-0 run from the Brazilians to put them up 65-53 with just under two and a half minutes to play, effectively putting the game to rest. Marcelo Tieppo Huertas paced Brazil with 17 on 7-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 5 boards and 6 assists. Alex Ribeiro Garcia added 13 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Marcelo Magalhaes Machado notched 12 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 5 boards. Guilherme Giovannoni added 12 on 2-3 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 3 boards. Tiago Splitter added 5, along with 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Rafael Hettsheimer scored 4, Marcus Vieira Souza 3, Vitor Alves Benite 2 and Augusto Lima Brito 1, while Welington Dos Santos, Rafael Freire Luz and Caio Silveira Torres were scoreless. Brazil hit 19-37 (.510) from the floor, 7-21 from the arc and 10-17 (.590) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 3 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 20 fouls, 13 turnovers, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Jermaine Anderson paced Canada with 9 on 1-3 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 1-1 from the line. Cory Joseph added 8 on 4-10 from the floor, 2 assists and 2 steals. Aaron Doornekamp scored 8 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Levon Kendall scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Joel Anthony notched 6 on 3-6 from the line, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Denham Brown added 5 on 1-9 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 4 boards. Andy Rautins scored 5 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Carl English added 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 3 boards. Jevohn Shephard notched 3 on 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Kelly Olynyk scored 3 on 0-2 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc, while Jesse Young and Jeff Ferguson were scoreless. Canada hit 15-49 (.310) from the floor, 6-15 (.400) from the arc and 9-13 (.690) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 16 fouls, 11 turnovers, 7 steals and 2 blocks.
Canada then nipped the Dominican Republic 73-72. The main weapon in Canada’s offensive assault was the 3-point shot as the team managed to shoot an impressive 10-for-23 from the land beyond. Almost right from the get-go it was clear that Canada was going to have a good night from behind the 3-point line as the team hit five triples in the opening quarter to help build a 19-16 lead at the end of the period. In the second quarter, the Dominican Republic started out very strong, going on a 10-0 run before Canada managed to battle back and make it 30-30 at the end of the first half because of some very strong play from Jevohn Shepherd and Kelly Olynyk, who combined to score seven points in the quarter. When the third quarter rolled around, Olynyk and Shepherd continued their strong play and Andy Rautins got in on the act, going 2-of-3 from 3-point territory in the frame, pushing the lead to 51-44 at the end of the quarter. That lead would be extended in the fourth to as much as 11 points, 65-45, with two minutes remaining but then an 8-2 mini run from the Dominican Republic forced Canada to take a timeout with 40 seconds to play where, afterwards, the lead would slowly be chipped away at because of some missed free throws from Canada. The match eventually ended up being a case of too little too late for the Dominican with Canada just managing to hit enough free throws, including a final pair by Aaron Doornekamp, to keep the game at a four-point distance, something that proved to be crucial as Francisco Garcia actually hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to make the game 73-72 for Canada. Jevohn Shepherd called it “a great win. … Our depth showed and it’s going to carry over for the rest of the tournament. I wouldn’t say the pressure’s off this team because every game’s going to be just as important as the last and then the next game’s more important than the one you just played so you just have to go with the same focus and have the same mindset.” Canadian coach Leo Rautins said “I thought it was another very good defensive effort for us. But we’re still not playing 40 minutes of basketball, which is obviously our goal. To be a good team here you have to play 40 minutes. … You certainly wouldn’t want to go into the end praying or looking for (a win) … but on the flipside you can’t relax. You need every win you can get here. We just have to make sure that last five minutes we close it out as strong as the first 35. Any win helps, there’s no question about that. You certainly wouldn’t want to be going into the end praying or looking for one so, certainly it does take some pressure off it but on the flipside, you can’t relax, you need every win you can get here.” Andy Rautins paced Canada with 15 on 0-2 from the floor, 5-8 from the arc and 2 steals. Carl English notched 12 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Jevohn Shepherd scored 10 on 4-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-6 from the line and 3 boards. Kelly Olynyk scored 8 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 1-1 from the line. Joel Anthony added 8 on 2-3 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 10 boards and 3 blocks. Aaron Doornekamp scored 7 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Cory Joseph added 6 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jermaine Anderson added 3 on 0-2 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 2 assists. Levon Kendall added 2, along with 3 boards, and Denham Brown 2, while Jeff Ferguson and Jesse Young were scoreless. Canada hit14-34 (.410) from the floor, 10-23 (.430) from the arc and 15-21 (.210) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 25 fouls, 13 turnovers, 7 steals and 4 blocks. Jack Martinez paced the Dominican Republic with 21 on 6-12 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 6-11 from the line and 16 boards. Al Horford Reynoso added 17 on 5-15 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 7-10 from the line, 11 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Franciso Garcia added 12 on 1-2 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals. Eulis Baez Benjamin scored 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 5 boards. Edgar Sosa added 9, Luis Flores 2 and Ronald Ramon Guerrero 1, while Charlie Villanueva Mejia, Kevlin Pena De La Cruz, Elpidio Fortuna Lara, Elys Guzman Garcia and Orlando Sanchez Caminero were scoreless. The Dominican Republic shot 17-46 (.370) from the floor, 6-22 (.270) from the arc and 20-30 from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 23 fouls, 15 turnovers, 7 steals and 5 blocks.
Canada improved to (2-1) by clocking Cuba 84-62. The win was a big confidence booster, said veteran center Jesse Young. “[Winning back-to-back games has] been huge. We had a tough one against Brazil where I think we controlled that game for probably 37 minutes so to have a tough loss like that and have a bounce-back game like we did against Dominican and then to win today I think it shows that we’re here to contend for spot in the Olympics.” The strong defensive play was highlighted by the Canucks’ first-quarter effort where they held the Cubans to just seven points while jumping on them offensively to lead at the end of the quarter 22-7, led by Carl English’s eight points in the period. The second quarter proved to be a far more even affair but because of the substantial gap Canada created in the first, the team entered the dressing room at the half with a comfortable 38-20 lead. During the second half of play, the lead would get trimmed down to as little as 14 points upon occasion but in the end that would be as close as Cuba would get. Jevohn Shepherd paced Canada with 13 on 4-4 from the floor, 5-8 from the line and 2 boards. Jermaine Anderson added 11 on 4-4 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Jesse Young notched 9 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2-3 from the line. Andy Rautins scored 9 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Carl English notched 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Joel Anthony added 7 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards. Cory Joseph scored 7 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Kelly Olynyk added 5 on 1-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 4 boards. Aaron Doornekamp added 4 on 2-2 from the floor and 3 assists. Levon Kendall scored 4 on 1-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 4 boards. Jeff Ferguson notched 4 on 2-2 from the floor. Denham Brown scored 3 on 0-1 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc. Canada hit 24-36 (.670) from the floor, 4-15 (.270) from the arc and 24-35 (.690) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 28 fouls, 17 turnovers, 5 steals and 4 blocks. Yorman Polas Bartolo paced Cuba with 14 on 5-10 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 4 boards. Juan Pineiro Marrero added 13 on 3-7 from the floor, 7-12 from the line, 2 assists and 3 steals. Yudniel Perez Arango added 12 on 4-9 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 3 boards. Orestes Torres Quiroz notched 11 on 4-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Yoan Luis Haiti added 6, along with 7 boards, Lisvan Valdez Maza 4 and Abraham Richardson Cruz 2, while Alexis Mestre Mencia, Yaser Rodriguez Alfonso, Leonel Batista Agurero, Yordanis Jaca Calderon and Enrique Ramos Abad were scoreless. Cuba hit 19-44 (.430) from the floor, 1-14 (.070) from the arc and 21-30 (.700) from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 29 fouls, 11 turnovers, 5 steals and 1 block.
Canada closed out pool play and fell to (2-2), after dropping a 103-98 decision to Venezuela in overtime. Canadian coach Leo Rautins said defensive lapses hurt the squad. “Obviously it was a tough game. One of the things we have been very good at is establishing a defensive game plan. For the first time, we got away from that.” Denham Brown concurred. “I felt we got away from what we were trying to accomplish defensively. They played a really good offensive game, and it turned out in their favour.” The game got out to a great pace, as both teams exchanged baskets in the early going, with Carl English scoring nine of Canada’s first 16 points. Venezuela continued to battle taking a 23-21 lead after the first frame. The second quarter saw much of the same offensive efficiency from both teams. A scoring flurry by Jermaine Anderson, who scored 11 points in the quarter, helped Canada take a 35-34 lead at the 2:42 mark. However, Venezuela made a run of their own, and took a narrow 40-38 lead at halftime. The seesaw battled continued into the third quarter, with Venezuela taking their largest lead of the game of seven halfway through the period. However, back-to-back three-pointers by Anderson and Jevohn Shepherd, followed by a dunk by Shepherd tied the game at 52. Canada would eventually reclaim a one-point lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Anderson continued to carry the load for Canada hitting two late free-throws to force overtime. In overtime, Anderson scored nine points in the five-minute extra frame, but Venezuela was able to hit key shots and held Canada at bay, en route to their second victory of the tournament. Greivis Vasquez Rodriquez paced Venezuela with 29 on 5-13 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 10-11 from the line, 2 boards and 4 assists. Hector Romero Rivas added 28 on 7-9 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 11-14 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. David Cubillan Leon notched 15 on 1-7 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards, 10 assists and 2 steals. Jose Vargas added 11 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 6 boards. Gregor Echenique notched 10 on 5-8 from the floor and 10 boards. Windi Gaterol Clemente added 4, Oscar Torres Martinez 4 and Jose Bravo Viloria 2, while Heissler Guillen Ecker, Nestor Colmenares Uzcatequi, Dwight Lewis Padron and Axiers Sucre were scoreless. Venezuela hit 28-54 (.520) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 26-31 (.840) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 23 fouls, 14 turnovers, 6 steals and 2 blocks. Jermaine Anderson paced Canada with 28 on 4-5 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc, 8-8 from the line and 3 assists. Denham Brown added 19 on 5-12 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 6-7 from the line and 6 boards. Carl English scored 18 on 6-15 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Jevohn Shepherd added 9 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Joel Anthony scored 9 on 3-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 9 boards. Andy Rautins scored 8 on 1-1 from the floor, 2-8 from the ac and 4 boards. Aaron Doornekamp added 6 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 4-6 from the line and 5 boards. Cory Joseph added 1 on 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists, while Jeff Ferguson, Kelly Olynyk, Jesse Young and Levon Kendall were scoreless. Canada hit 22-45 (.490) from the floor, 10-27 (.370) from the arc and 24-29 (.830) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 25 fouls, 11 turnovers, 6 steals and 4 blocks.
Canada finished (2-2) in pool A play and qualified for the finals pool, carrying over a record of (1-2).
In the second-round pool play, Canada was clocked 79-53 by Argentina. But Canadian coach Leo Rautins called it an important step forward. “Knowing the strength of Argentina’s veteran roster, tonight’s focus was preparation for tomorrow’s game against Puerto Rico.” Canada started the game strong but after the late run, Argentina took a 21-9 first quarter lead. “We were really pleased that Kelly (Olynyk) bounced back with a great game and that we had an opportunity to limit the minutes for our core players, given the quick turnaround to the morning game tomorrow,” said Rautins. Canada continued to battle into the second quarter, with Olynyk leading the charge capped-off by a fast break dunk to cut the lead to five halfway through the second quarter. However, Argentina went on a 12-2 run to take a 37-22 lead after one half of play. The third quarter started off fast for Canada, with a Joel Anthony bucket, followed by a lay-up by English, which cut the Argentina lead to 11. Despite two late three-pointers by Andy Rautins, this would be the closest Canada would get in the quarter, after which Argentina led 54-43. The fourth quarter saw Argentina’s Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni score a combined 20 points in the frame to keep Canada from making a comeback. Luis Scola paced Argentina with 22 on 7-15 from the floor, 8-9 from the line and 6 boards. Carlos Delfino added 17 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Emanuel Ginobili notched 16 on 3-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 7-7 from the line, 6 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. Andres Nocioni scored 13 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Pablo Prigioni scored 5, Fabricio Oberto 2, along with 5 boards, Hernan Jasen 2, along with 7 boards and Guillermo Kammerichs 2, while Juan Sanchez Brown, Juan Gutierrez Lanas, Alfredo Quinteros and Martin Leiva were scoreless. Argentina hit 21-47 (.450) from the floor, 6-16 (.380) from the arc and 19-24 (.790) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 16 fouls, 12 turnovers, 13 steals and 2 blocks. Kelly Olynyk paced Canada with 19 on 6-15 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 7-9 from the line and 12 boards. Jevohn Shepherd added 12 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 5-5 from the line and 2 boards. Carl English added 9 on 3-6 from the floor and 1-2 from the arc. Andy Rautins notched 8 on 2-6 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Jermaine Anderson scored 3, while nabbing 5 boards, and Joel Anthony scored 2, while nabbing 4 boards. Aaron Doornekamp, Cory Joseph, Jeff Ferguson, Denham Brown, Jesse Young and Levon Kendall were scoreless. Canada hit 12-42 (.290) from the floor, 5-19 (.260) from the arc and 14-18 (.780) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 4 assists, 20 fouls, 22 turnovers, 5 steals and 3 blocks.
Canada fell to (1-4) in pool C play after losing 79-74 to Puerto Rico. “Obviously it was a tough loss,” said Canadian coach Leo Rautins. “I think last night’s game appeared to have an effect on us in the first half. We appeared very sluggish, like we were walking in cement. We dug ourselves a hole that we were fortunate to get out of, but Puerto Rico made some plays down the stretch and we weren’t able to recover. … I give these guys credit. They are not going to quit, they’re going to fight. They know there are two games to play and they’re going to try and win those two games. I’ve never had an issue with keeping these guys up.” To start the game, both teams were strong as they exchanged baskets throughout the first quarter. Canada was led by the strength of three-pointers by Carl English, Aaron Doornekamp and Andy Rautins to help Canada stay within 22-21 of Puerto Rico after the first frame. In the second quarter, Puerto Rico began to build their lead, going on a 9-2 run to start the quarter, which helped propel them to a 42-29 lead heading into halftime. To start the second half, English continued to stay hot hitting a three pointer, followed by a lay-up en route to eight third quarter points. However, Puerto Rico continued to score from the outside and built their lead to 62-47 going into the final quarter. Canada began their comeback early in the fourth quarter, going on an 11–2 run in the first two and half minutes to cut the lead to a mere six points led by Denham Brown, Cory Joseph and Kelly Olynyk. Canada continued their comeback, which was capped off by a three-pointer by Aaron Doornekamp to tie the game at 67 at the 2:17 mark. However, five straight points by Carlos Arroyo put Puerto Rico up with under a minute to play. Rautins quickly pulled within two with a three-pointer; but that would be the closest Canada would get. Coach Leo Rautins said Arroyo was key. “[Arroyo] has been a major international player for a long time. He’s singlehandedly taken down a lot of teams. We tried different things with him in the second half, but down the stretch, he made some tough shots. That’s what he does, that’s what he’s always done. … We just seemed very sluggish, like we were walking in cement. We just couldn’t seem to get moving. We were able to get out of that hole but Puerto Rico made some plays down the stretch and we weren’t able to recover.” Rautins said centre Aaron Doornekamp is likely out for the rest of the tournament after suffering a concussion in the final minute of play. Andy Rautins is also questionable after he suffered a broken nose and slight concussion early in the fourth quarter and centre Joel Anthony was limited to just six minutes because of an apparent ankle injury. Carlos Arroyo Bermudez paced Puerto Rico with 26 on 7-11 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 6-9 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Alexander Galindo Rodriguez added 13 on 1-4 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards. Jose Barea Mora notched 11 on 2-6 from the floor, 7-7 from the line, 5 boards, 6 assists and 4 steals. Daniel Santiago added 7, Manuel Narvaez Rivera 6, Angel Alamo 6, Ricardo Sanchez Rosa 4 and Javier Mojica 1, while John Holland, Alejandro Carmona Sanchez and Renaldo Balkman were scoreless. Puerto Rico hit 18-37 (.490) from the floor, 8-20 (.400) from the arc and 19-23 (.830) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 16 fouls, 10 turnovers and 9 steals. Andy Rautins paced Canada with 18 on 5-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Carl English added 13 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-5 from the line and 5 boards. Levon Kendall scored 10 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards. Denham Brown added 8 on 2-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 3 boards. Jevohn Shepherd scored 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Kelly Olynyk added 7 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 6 boards. Aaron Doornekamp notched 6 on 0-1 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 4 boards and 5 assists. Jermaine Anderson added 2, along with 4 assists, and Cory Joseph 2, along with 3 boards, while Jess Young, Joel Anthony and Jeff Ferguson was scoreless. Canada hit 20-41 (.490) from the floor, 8-19 (.420) from the arc and 10-10 from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 24 fouls, 12 turnovers, 4 steals and 1 block.
Canada then nipped Uruguay 70-68 to improve their pool record to (2-3) as Levon Kendall collected a double-double. “We came out with real good energy, but we knew that Uruguay was not going to go away,” said Canadian coach Leo Rautins. “Especially against us, they come out like there’s no tomorrow. They came out in the second half and put up a pretty good fight. Fortunately, we were able to hang in there and make some plays down the stretch. … [Kendall] knew he had to play big today and he’s had a sore back the last couple of games, which was a concern of mine, but he got in there and got the job done. He did a good job in stretching the defense and making shots down the stretch. Overall, that’s the type of game that we know Levon can bring to the table.” Heading into the game, Kendall knew he needed a big game for Canada to succeed and welcomed the challenge. “I was used to playing big minutes leading up to this tournament. This isn’t the first time I have been in this position, where we were missing some big guys, so I was ready for it and looking forward to the opportunity to playing up to my potential.” Both teams exchanged points in the early going with the score tied at eight halfway through the first quarter. However, Rautins came off the bench and shot two three-pointers to give Canada a 19-17 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. In the second quarter, Canada began to pull away, led by Kendall, who scored nine points in the final four minutes of the quarter, capped off by a steal and a breakaway dunk. Canada’s offensive efficiency allowed them to take a 41-27 lead heading into halftime. Kendall continued to build Canada’s lead with four points in the early going of the third quarter giving Canada a 21-point lead, the biggest lead of the game. Despite a run by Uruguay that allowed them to climb back within single digits, Canada still maintained a 56-49 edge going into the final frame. Early in the fourth quarter, Uruguay continued to chip away at Canada’s lead, eventually tying the game with 5:43 left in the game thanks to a three-pointer by Leandro Morales. Morales then gave Uruguay their first lead of the game with another three-pointer, but Rautins answered with a three of his own. Gustavo Barrea then regained the lead for Uruguay. Andy Rautins hit a three-pointer in the final minute and Levon Kendall had a clutch block with only seconds left to preserve the win. Uruguay heaved a desperation three-point attempt in the dying seconds but Canada’s Jevohn Shepherd came down with the rebound. “Maybe deep down we’re all entertainers and we wanted to make things interesting for the people watching at home,” Kendall said. “Luckily we were able to make some shots and some big defensive plays down the stretch and that gave us the win. Now we’ve got to take care of business tomorrow and see what happens.” In order to finish fifth and qualify for a second-chance Olympic tournament next summer, Canada needs to beat Panama on Thursday and hope that Uruguay upsets Venezuela. Levon Kendall paced Canada with 19 on 6-10 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 11 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Andy Rautins added 15 on 4-6 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Denham Brown notched 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 6 boards. Jermaine Anderson added 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Jevohn Shepherd added 7 on 0-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-6 from the line and 4 boards. Carl English notched 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Jesse Young added 3, Cory Joseph 2 and Jeff Ferguson 2, while Kelly Olynyk was scoreless. Aaron Doornekamp and Joel Anthony did not play because of injury. Canada hit 15-34 (.440) from the floor, 9-18 from the arc and 13-18 (.720) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 18 turnovers, 4 steals and 7 blocks. Leandro Garcia Morales paced Uruguay with 19 on 2-5 from the floor and 5-12 from the arc. Martin Osimani added 17 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Gustavo Barrera Castro added 12 on 4-7 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Mathias Calfani Persincula added 8, Nicolas Borsellino 6, Sebastian Vazquez Bernal 3, Esteban Batista Hernandez 2, along with 8 boards, and Sebastian Izaguirre Rodriguez 1, while Fernando Martinez Pan, Mauricio Aguiar, Bruno Fitipaldo Rodriguez and Reques Newsome Linder were scoreless. Uruguay hit 14-42 (.330) from the floor, 7-23 (.300) from the arc and 19-23 (.830) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 19 fouls, 11 turnovers, 10 steals and 2 blocks.
Canada closed out the Olympic qualifying tournament with a 91-89 loss to Panama to finish (2-5) in pool C play and sixth in the competition, failing to qualify for the Olympics or the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in July 2012. “This definitely isn’t the place we thought we would be today,” said team captain Jesse Young. “We fought all tournament and sometimes bounces don’t go our way and I think throughout the tournament, in close games, we just were not getting that rebound or that loose ball or that defensive stop. Everyone one of us put everything into it throughout the tournament and throughout the summer to try to get us in a situation to get a chance to qualify [for the Olympics].” Coach Leo Rautins said “it’s disappointing. We all put a lot into this and these guys worked their tails off. For some reason, different things catch up with us. We’re not good enough to absorb losing key guys.” Canada again was without the services of Aaron Doornekamp (concussion) and Joel Anthony (ankle). Both teams came out firing to start the game, as Panama stormed out to a 6-2 lead early in the game. However, Carl English found his touch en route to 15 points in the first quarter, including three three-pointers, which gave Canada a narrow 27-24 lead after the first ten minutes of play. In the second quarter, Panama began to close the gap early in the period thanks to a three-pointer by Gary Forbes. Canada quickly regained the lead with an alley-oop by Jevohn Shepherd, which was set up by Andy Rautins. Both teams exchanged points the rest of the quarter, with Panama taking a 39-38 lead into halftime. The seesaw battle continued into the second half, as neither team would allow the other to take more than a four-point lead in the third quarter. The two battled back and forth to end the frame tied at 70. Kelly Olynyk and Carl English carried the offense, scoring 14 of the team’s 22 points in the quarter, highlighted by a three-point-play dunk by Olynyk. Into the fourth quarter, both teams continued to exchange baskets, with Panama taking a five-point lead at the 5:41 mark. As Canada began to mount their comeback, Forbes continued to be a force offensively, denying Canada to take the lead. Forbes put the game out of reach with a clutch three-pointer with 16.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give Panama a 91-86 lead. Rautins then hit a meaningless three at the buzzer for the game’s final points. Gary Forbes Regis paced Panama with 39 on 8-13 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 11-13 from the line, 5 boards and 6 assists. Ruben Garces Riquelme scored 21 on 7-11 from the floor, 7-8 from the line, 12 boards and 2 steals. Josimar Ayarza Tous added 18 on 4-9 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Leonardo Pomare Jones added 9 and Joel Tesis 4, while Reyjavick DeGracia Castillo, Jamar Warren Green, Danilo Pinnock, Ariel Robinson McKay, Eduardo Archibold, Desmond Smith Sanders and Jose Lloreda Ferron were scoreless. Panama hit 25-44 (.570) from the floor, 7-15 (.470) from the arc and 20-25 (.800) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 16 fouls, 15 turnovers, 4 steals and 1 block. Carl English paced Canada with 24 on 4-5 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Andy Rautins added 14 on 1-2 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc, 3 assists and 4 steals. Kelly Olynyk added 13 on 4-8 from the floor, 5-5 from the line and 4 boards. Jevohn Shepherd scored 13 on 3-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 7-8 from the line. Denham Brown added 7 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Jesse Young added 7 on 2-3 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. Levon Kendall scored 4 on 1-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Cory Joseph scored 4 on 2-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Jermaine Anderson added 2 and Jeff Ferguson 1. Canada hit 20-40 from the floor, 9-27 (.330) from the arc and 22-25 (.880) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 18 fouls, 7 turnovers, 8 steals and 1 block.
Argentina Luis Scola was chosen the tournament MVP. Joining him on the all-tournament team were Marcelo Huertas (Brazil); Carlos Arroyo (Puerto Rico); Manu Ginobili (Argentina); and Al Horford (Dominican Republic).
After the tournament, Leo Rautins resigned as coach of the national team. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the team, watching them grow and improve, but change is a good thing and it is time for a new voice in the locker room,” Rautins said hours after watching Panama put the final nail in the coffin of Canada’s hopes of qualifying for London 2012. Wayne Parrish, CEO of Canada Basketball, said he respects Rautins’ decision but that he and Maurizio Gherardini, Managing Director of the men’s program, are anxious to have him continue to be involved in some capacity. “Leo has been the heart and soul of this program; he has built the team and made significant progress,” said Parrish. “Despite this disappointing loss, we’ve played some great basketball here in Argentina, which is result of Leo’s work with the team over the past years. … This team is going in the right direction and our focus is 2016. We would very much like Leo to be involved in some capacity.” Rautins said “this hasn’t been a job, this has been a passion … something that I’ve loved doing. … I love this program.” Rautins, whose contract was set to run through to October 2012, resigned after Panama upset Canada 91-89 at the FIBA Olympic Americas tournament. “The players have given me everything that I’ve asked (but) I think for the benefit of this program going forward, a new voice in the locker-room will be the best thing,” said Rautins, who has coached the national team since 2005. “We could very easily be in the final four of this tournament. A shot here, a couple of stops there, maybe a little luck as opposed to what we’ve had, but I think it’s time (to step down).” Parrish said “we have said going back three years that the real focus is (the Olympics) in 2016. “That hasn’t changed, but I think we’ve built in elements and features that have got us along that trajectory. I know the success this program is going to have in the future is going to be tied in large part to what Leo has achieved.” The 51-year-old Toronto native has been frustrated by the inability to use all his talent, including two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. “It would be wonderful if our country was able to put the best players we have on the floor,” Rautins said. “(But) I don’t ever question players that don’t. Everybody’s got careers, families, injuries … a lot of things that they have to consider before playing. I just think that somehow in our country we have to look at playing for the national team as an honour and something that is very special. One of the things I’ve told the players is I didn’t take this job to enhance my reputation, to become an NBA coach, to use this as a launching pad,” said Rautins, who also played in pro leagues in Spain and France from 1985 to 1992. “I took this job because I love this program and I want to see this program succeed. I know what this program can become and I think we’ve done a lot of very, very positive things.”
2012 PRE-OLYMPIC REPECHAGE, CARACAS, VENEZEULA
| FINAL STANDINGS 1. Lithuania Russia 3. Nigeria 4. Dominican Republic 5. Angola Greece Macedonia Puerto Rico 9. Jordan Venezuela New Zealand Korea | CANADA DID NOT QUALIFY |
| POOL A | GRE | PUR | JOR | Record | ||
| Greece | —– | 98-84 | 107-63 | (2-0) | ||
| Puerto Rico | 84-98 | —– | 93-52 | (1-1) | ||
| Jordan | 63-107 | 52-93 | —– | (0-2) | ||
| POOL B | LTH | NIG | VEN | Record | ||
| Lithuania | —– | 80-86 | 100-82 | (1-1) | ||
| Nigeria | 86-80 | —– | 69-71 | (1-1) | ||
| Venezuela | 82-100 | 71-69 | —– | (1-1) | ||
| POOL C | RUS | DOM | KOR | Record | ||
| Russia | —– | 84-69 | 91-56 | (2-0) | ||
| Dominican Republic | 69-84 | —– | 95-85 | (1-1) | ||
| Korea | 56-91 | 85-95 | —– | (0-2) | ||
| POOL D | MAC | ANG | NZL | Record | ||
| Y.R. of Macedonia | —– | 84-88 | 84-62 | (1-1) | ||
| Angola | 88-84 | —– | 64-68 | (1-1) | ||
| New Zealand | 62-84 | 68-64 | —– | (1-1) | ||
| QFs | Russia 80 Angola 65 | |
| QFs | Nigeria 80 Greece 79 | |
| QFs | Dominican Republic 86 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 76 | |
| QFs | Lithuania 76 Puerto Rico 72 | |
| Semi | Russia 85 Nigeria 77 | |
| Semi | Lithuania 109 Dominican Republic 83 | |
| Bronze | Nigeria 88 Dominican Republic 73 | |