(Toronto, Ont.) A strong performance in the second half of their matchup against Americas zone rival Argentina allowed Team Canada to outlast their opponent 56-45 and improve their record to 2-0 at the 2015 Americas Wheelchair Basketball Challenge.
Canada is hosting Americas zone rivals Argentina, Brazil, and the USA at the Mattamy Athletic Centre March 22-26th for the friendly warm-up tournament that offers a sneak peak at the top competitors gearing up for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games.
The score was deadlocked at 25-25 going into halftime before Canada outscored Argentina 31-20 in the final two quarters of the game to pull away with things and improve their record to 2-0. Canada spread the scoring around amongst eight different teammates with Bo Hedges, 15 points, and David Eng, 9 points, once again leading the way. Nik Goncin rounded out his contributions with a three-pointer in the fourth quarter to also finish in double-digit scoring with 11 points.
For the second night in a row Argentina relied heavily on Daniel Copa for their offense. He scored a game-high 18 points.
Team USA also captured their second win of the tournament by defeating Brazil 81-57. Jared Arembula and Carter Arey had impressive games with 19 and 18 points respectively. Anderson Ferreira scored 11 of his team-high 13 points in the third quarter for Brazil in the loss.
Team Canada has three games remaining in the tournament. First up is a rematch against Brazil, who they beat 76-64 in their opening game, on Tuesday March 24th starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. Then Argentina will have a chance at redemption against Canada on Wednesday March 25th at 6:15 p.m. ET. Canada will wrap up their tournament against the USA on Thursday March 26th at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Interviews with Team Canada athletes and coaches can be scheduled by contacting Jody Kingsbury at 613-851-2337 or jkingsbury@wheelchairbasketball.ca.
Canada is the defending Paralympic gold medalist and remains hungry to reclaim their status as the #1 team in the world.
The 2015 Americas Wheelchair Basketball Challenge is the first major test for the Canadian Men’s National Team that must finish amongst the top two teams at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games in August in order to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
More information: Schedule and Results
About Team Canada
The Senior Men’s National Team went undefeated at the London 2012 Paralympics to capture their third gold medal in four Paralympic Games. It is the latest accomplishment in a sport dynasty that has placed them on the podium at four consecutive Paralympics and at five of the last six world championships.
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 six Paralympic Games.