Scoring Woes Continue for Team Canada Men in Loss to the Netherlands at Rio 2016

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(Rio de Janeiro) The scoring woes continued for the Canadian men’s Paralympic wheelchair basketball team in a 49-32 loss to the Netherlands at the Carioca 1 Arena on Friday night in their second outing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Nik Goncin, of Regina, Sask., led all Canadian players with 12 points and collected 14 rebounds to pick up the double-double. Co-captains David Eng (Montreal, Que.) and Bo Hedges (Wonowon, B.C.) scored six and four points respectively. Mustafa Korkmaz had a game-high 22 points for the Netherlands.

Both teams started off slow out of the gate by missing early opportunities to put points on the board in what proved to be a low-scoring game. Canada had the slight 10-9 edge after the opening 10 minutes of play and settled into a rhythm in the second frame, improving the lead to 19-15 at halftime.

Canada rebounded from a lopsided setback in their opening game against Spain with a more composed effort on the defensive side of the ball. Canada was much more aggressive defensively, limiting time and space for opposing shooters and clogging up the key.

Unfortunately for the Canadian side the Dutch shooters found their outside scoring touch with a 14-point run to open the third quarter. The Netherlands outscored Canada 18-4 in the frame to take a 33-23 lead into the final period. With the momentum in hand, the Netherlands cruised through the final quarter to pick up its first win in Group A.

Shooting was once again a factor in the game, as Canada shot just 25 per cent from the field compared to 36 per cent by the Netherlands.

Canada (0-2) will face long-time Paralympic rival Australia (2-0) on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. BRT at the Rio Olympic Arena. The Canadian women (1-0) had an off day Friday and return to action tomorrow when they face Argentina (0-2) at 9:30 a.m. BRT at the Rio Olympic Arena.

About Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sport 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.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee’s vision is to be the world’s leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

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