Tournament wraps up Monday with a Paralympic spot on the line
Colin Higgins had a triple-double, but Canada lost 75-74 to Iran on Sunday in Antibes, France, on the final day of group play at the Men’s IWBF Repechage Tournament.
Canada will face Italy at 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday in the crossover game. A victory will secure the Senior Men’s National Team a spot at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Paris.
Higgins (Rothesay, N.B.) had a team-high 25 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Patrick Anderson (Fergus, Ont.) added 23 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Nik Goncin (Regina, Sask.) and Vincent Dallaire (Quebec City, Que.) each had eight points.
“That was a bit of a gut-wrenching loss there – last second, buzzer-beater, but still a lot of nice things to take away from the game today,” said Higgins. “We feel like we played better today. There’s been a bit of momentum in our game over the last three games, and hopefully, that carries over to a win on Monday.
“We’re seeing progress, and we know that with one or two more tweaks, we can hopefully be victorious and punch our ticket on Monday.”
Canada used a 7-2 run to jump out to an early 57-51 fourth quarter lead—Anderson scored five consecutive points for the SMNT. Goncin then pulled Canada ahead 74-73 with three seconds remaining in the fourth, but Iran responded with a game-ending buzzer-beater to seal the victory. Canada shot 49 percent from the field, while Iran finished 34 of 61 shooting.
Team Canada led by one, 50-49, through three quarters.
In the third period, Canada outscored Iran 14-12, with Higgins pacing the SMNT with eight points.
Canada closed the first half, scoring eight unanswered to cut Iran’s lead to one, 37-36. Higgins led the way with 10 points and seven assists. Dallaire, Goncin, and Anderson each had six through two quarters. Canada shot 15 of 28 from the field in the first half, while Iran shot 53 per cent.
Canada opened the game with a 7-2 run. Iran responded with a 10-2 surge to pull ahead, but the SMNT concluded the period outscoring Iran 6-2 and led 22-21.
The repechage tournament is a final opportunity for teams who did not qualify for the Paris Games through their zone qualifier to earn a spot at the Paralympic Games.
The tournament consists of two groups that will establish rankings for crossover matches. The knockout stage will unveil the four teams that earn a berth in the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Fans can watch the action on CBC Sports digital platforms, including the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. Tournament schedule and full results can be found here.
Full stats from Canada’s game against Iran can be found here.
Lead photo courtesy Grégory Picout/Fédération Française Handisport