The Senior Men’s National Team defeated their cross-border rivals 67-55
(OTTAWA, ONT.) – Team Canada defeated the United States 67-55 on Friday morning, while the Americans found the win column with a 47-44 victory over the Netherlands on Friday evening at the Ottawa Invitational tournament presented by Meridian Credit Union.
Patrick Anderson had a game-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while Lee Melymick added 13 points in the win over the U.S. as Canada improved to 2-0 in the tournament.
“The States are a good team. They have a lot of athletes who are back who weren’t there last summer. We haven’t beaten them in a long time, so take that as a positive, but we have a lot of things that we still need to clean up,” said Colin Higgins, who chipped in 13 points and three assists at the Carleton University Ravens’ Nest on Friday. “We’re excited to test ourselves again on Saturday with two tough games.
“Many of us have never beaten the States, so it’s a good team win headed into the Worlds next month.”
Steve Serio had a team-high 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the loss to Canada. Jacob Williams added 12 points.
The Americans rebounded Friday evening, handing the Netherlands a 47-44 loss. Brian Bell paced the U.S. with 10 points and four rebounds. Jorge Salazar added nine points and four rebounds in the win.
The Dutch were led by 11 points and six rebounds from Mattijs Bellers. Mendel Op Den Orth chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Action at the Ottawa Invitational tournament continues on Saturday when the Netherlands and Canada open a three-game slate at 9 a.m. ET. At 1:30 p.m. ET, Canada meets the U.S., and the Netherlands and Americans conclude the day’s action at 6 p.m. ET. All games take place at Carleton University Ravens’ Nest (9376 University Drive, Ottawa, ON) and are free and open to the public. Those wishing to attend games can secure their free tickets here.
All of Canada’s games will be streamed on CBC Sports digital platforms, including the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, as well as on WBC’s YouTube channel.
About the Ottawa Invitational
The Ottawa Invitational tournament, presented by Meridian Credit Union, runs May 17-21, 2023, at the Carleton University Ravens’ Nest. The five-day tournament will feature the top wheelchair basketball athletes from Canada, the Netherlands and the United States as they prepare for the upcoming IWBF World Championships. The event is supported, in part, by The Government of Canada and Ottawa Tourism. Please visit Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Ottawa Invitational event page for further information, including the complete schedule.