2015 Summer Universiade: Canada falls to USA, earns silver

GWANGJU, South Korea (Team Canada) – The Canadian women's basketball team claimed the Universiade silver medal after falling 82-63 to the United States in the gold medal final at the 28th Summer Universiade, Monday.

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com  

Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index

Team Canada Twitter: @CDNUniversiade | #goCanadaU

Canada's silver medal is the program's best result at the games. Prior to tonight, their highest finish was a bronze medal on two occasions in 1979 (Mexico City) and 1991 (Sheffield, England).

"I am tremendously proud of our girls and their performance at these games," said head coach Fabian McKenzie. "Our first silver medal at the Universiade is a huge step for our program. I have had a wonderful summer with these young ladies, and this truly has been phenomenal."

The game started close, but the tables turned in favour of the USA in the second quarter, as Canada struggled with turnovers and rebounds. Defensively, the USA built up 20 defensive rebounds and six blocked shots in the first half to lead 31-23 heading into the break.

Canada came alive in the third going on a 10-4 run in the first three minutes to make it a two point game. The red and white played a smart ten minutes and were neck and neck with the Americans, outscoring them 22-17 in the frame.

However, in the fourth, the US rode a wave of experience and used their size in the paint and outside scoring ability to build a twenty point lead that the Canadians could not recover.

The difference was their ability to get the ball in the paint and to run the floor," McKenzie continued. "We didn't stop them from doing that and our offensive execution kind of died in the fourth quarter, and that really hurt us."

Canada was led by Ajax, Ont. native Dakota Whyte with 20 points, while Adut Bulgak had the team's only double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Source: CIS