CANADA CLOSES OUT SECOND ROUND WITH 120-103 WIN OVER DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MEXICO CITY, MEXICO) – Team Canada used a hot shooting night to win their final game of the second round, beating Dominican Republic 120-103 at the 2015 FIBA Americas Men’s Championship.

“We got the job done on a tough day. Emotional game last night, quick turnaround, playing against a team that plays an unconventional style, we did what we had to do,” said Head Coach Jay Triano. “I’m happy to get the win and have 48 hours to prepare for the big game.”

Cory Joseph was the engine for Canada’s win, scoring 17 points with seven assists and one turnover. Kelly Olynyk poured in 13 points with a team-high nine rebounds. Dominican Republic’s Angel Suero scored a game-high 19 points in the loss. For full box score, click here.

Canada jumped out to an early lead behind an 8-8 three-point shooting start. It was an up-tempo start for Team Canada despite playing the late game the night before. Anthony Bennett was a force in the quarter, hitting all four three-point attempts and both free throw looks for 14 points. Canada scored a tournament-high for points in a quarter and led 36-18 after one quarter.

Dominican Republic would bounce back, starting the quarter on a 9-3 run. Cory Joseph would take control, driving to the hoop to score two quick lay-ups to right the ship. Canada contained their opponents for the most part, but the Dominican Republic found their touch from three but could not contain Team Canada. The Men’s National Team won the quarter 29-28 and led 65-46 at the half.

The Men’s National Team have used the third quarter to create separation throughout the tournament and this game would be no different. The starting line-up used transition offence to score easy buckets, dropping 17 points in the first five minutes of the quarter. After 30 minutes of action, Canada led 96-72.

With the significant margin, Canada used their bench to wrap up the final period. Offensive rebounding was key in the period and the Men’s National Team put the finishing touches on a 120-103 win.

“It wasn’t pretty but we definitely got the job done. They shot the bell unbelievably well, even with the hand in their face, making a lot of threes. At the same time, for us, we just had to rebound and run in transition. That’s basically what we’ve been doing all tournament and we got to keep doing it,” said Anthony Bennett.

The next game for Team Canada is September 11. The opponent and game time are to be determined. Follow @CanBball for the latest updates.

For full FIBA Americas roster, click here.

For more information about the FIBA Americas Men’s Championship, click here.