U19 Women's National Team Tops Serbia 58-52 in FIBA World Championships Round of 16

Toronto, ON - The U19 Women's National Team's Round of 16 game ended in a 58-52 victory over Serbia at the FIBA World Championships in Chekhov, Russia.

"Just an unbelievable effort from everybody," said Canada Head Coach, Rich Chambers. "After a bad start, we just hung in, started to grind out the game and finally started making some shots. I just couldn't be prouder of our effort." Power Forward, Nancy Kessler stated, "We never lost our focus or intensity. We wanted to prove that deserve to be a top 8 team in the world. It was a great team win."

Chatham, Ontario native, Bridget Carleton finished the game with 24 points on 8-20 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds and a steal while Lauren Yearwood chipped in with a near double-double of 9 points and 16 rebounds. Serbia's Kristina Arsenic finished with 9 points while shooting 33% from the field. For a full box score, click here.

Canada stumbled out of the gate as Serbia went on a 10-2 run to start the game. Later on in the quarter, Canada started to gain momentum with the help of Carleton's 5 points in the frame. Heading into the second quarter, Serbia led Canada 19-11.

After settling into the game, Canada started to find their groove and play as a team. Victoria native, Yearwood shined in the frame as she converted a three-point play and corralled 4 rebounds while Carleton scored 10 points in the half together with 4 rebounds. Through two quarters, Canada trailed Serbia 28-21.

Coming out of the half, Canada played tenacious team defense along with efficient offense to cut the Serbian lead to five points midway through the frame. Coming off of the bench, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick made her presence felt as she scored 6 points in the quarter while dishing out 3 assists and earning one steal. At the end of the third quarter, Canada trailed Serbia 41-36.

The U19 Women's National Team looked to continue their ramped pace in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback effort against Serbia. The Canadian offense started to fire on all cylinders as they tied the game at 48 with less than five minutes remaining. Excellent team defense forced turnovers and missed shots from Serbia as Canada stormed back to take the lead with less than three minutes left. Crucial baskets from Carleton and rebounds from Yearwood completed Canada's comeback as they outscored Serbia 22-11 in the quarter and ended up being victorious - 58-52.

Team Canada will play Argentina or the United States in the FIBA U19 World Championships Quarterfinal on July 24 in Chekhov, Russia.

For the full U19 Women's National Team Roster and coaching staff, click here.

Ceci est disponible egalement en francais. Contactez Bailey Williams ci-dessous pour l'obtenir.