LEON & IRAPUATO (Mexico) - Canada stepped up their intensity at just the right time to win over Spain, 76-73, for the very first time at this level and book their first-ever Final ticket at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2024.
It was a tightly contested affair all throughout, with Spain holding the lead for a lion's share of the game. Canada were always nipping at the Spain's heels and they finally broke through to retake the lead behind the play of Agot Makeer, Savannah Swords, and Deniyah Prawl in the fourth quarter.
With Spain star player Sara Okeke battling foul trouble in the second half, Canada pounced and successfully rallied. The Canadians managed to turn the tide behind some tight pressure defense that allowed them to finish the game strong. They also limited Spanish superstar Okeke to just 4 points and 4 rebounds.
This assures Canada of their first podium finish at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup since 2012. Meanwhile, Spain face France in the battle for third place.
Turning point
Trailing by five points at the half-time break, Canada knew they had to dig deep and play with more intensity. They did just that, gradually chipping at Spain's advantage throughout the third period.
It was the start of the final quarter, however, that proved to be the biggest turning point of this game as Canada went on a 13-3 tear to retake the lead for good. Spain were still within striking distance up until the end, even threatening at 73-75 after a Mireya Sanz triple and a backcourt violation called on Makeer. Coach Fabienne Blizzard's side, however, successfully held on to the win.
Game hero
In what was billed to be a heated match-up between Canada's Agot Makeer and Spain's Sara Okeke, it was Makeer who stood tall when the smoke cleared. She finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and 3 blocks in another sterling all-around performance.
Stats don't lie
Spain played like a capable title contender for most of this game, but their tendency to frequently commit fouls helped doom their championship hopes. Coach Javier Torralba's team allowed Canada to shoot 41 free-throw attempts, making 29.
Makeer shot 8-of-11, while Swords also did well, shooting 8-of-9 from the stripe. This enabled Canada to always stay close and eventually turn the tables on the Spaniards.
Top Highlight
Other results
- Japan successfully held off Italy, 66-60, for a shot to finish among the top five teams in the competition. Star guard Sara Yamada had an off-game here, but Otoha Goto picked up the slack. Goto scored a team-high 24 points on the back of 6 three-pointers made to carry the Japanese to their fourth win.
- Mali leaned on a strong fourth quarter flurry to pull the rug from under Argentina, 78-67, in their own classification game. The victors outscored Argentina, 26-12, in the fourth quarter to tally just their second win of the tournament. Aminata Samake had a 9-point, 14-rebound, 3-block game to lead the way for Mali.
- Australia will play Japan for a spot on the tournament's top five after the Aussies beat Finland, 78-61, today. Finland stayed within striking distance of Australia for three quarters befoe the latter poured on the heat in the final period and broke the game open. Madison Kathleen Ryan had her best game yet for Australia, recording 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.
- Puerto Rico added to the home team's frustrations as they defeated Mexico, 65-61. The hometown favorites had an auspicious start here, outscoring the Puerto Ricans, 23-13, in the first quarter. They could not sustain their offensive efficiency, though, as the visitors slowly chipped into the deficit. By the end, Diann Jackson paced Puerto Rico's come-from-behind win with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
- Croatia stamped their class on luckless Egypt, 91-51, in their classification match-up. Coach Tatjana Jacovic's side were relentless from the tip, limiting Egypt to just 2 points in the entire first period. Croatia didn't ease up till the end, recording their widest winning margin of the tournament so far. Of course, it was Olivia Vukosa once again leading the way with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double.
- Chinese Taipei notched their third win of the competition at the expense of FIBA Asia rivals New Zealand, 70-66. Coach Hsiu Mien Hsu's squad outscored the Kiwis, 40-23, in the middle two quarters to wrest full control and successfully staved off any challenge in the final frame. Yu Chen Peng exploded for 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 triples for Chinese Taipei.
FIBA