TIJUANA (Mexico) – Canada beat Argentina 81-57 ​​in the battle for third place in the FIBA ​​U18 Americas Championship. The Canadians took home the Bronze, their fourth time in this category, at the Zonkeys Auditorium in Tijuana, Mexico.

The first half of the match was fairly balanced. The Argentinians managed to contain the powerful Canadian offense with a 2-3 zone, which allowed them to go into halftime nearly tied (33-31).

During the second half, the North American team asserted its size to bring down Argentina’s defensive system. Canada grabbed 57 total rebounds (23 offensive) and netted 54 points in the paint. Defense was key in the last two quarters to gaining a definitive advantage against an Argentine team that only scored 8 field goals in the second half.

Vasean Allette once again ignited the offense for the Canadians. The point guard finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, proving to be one of the best stars of the tournament. Center Michael Nwoko, with 20 points and 7 rebounds, also stood out for the North Americans, who added their seventh consecutive podium finish in the U18 category.

Santiago Trouet led Argentina with double digits (12 points, 12 rebounds. Both teams booked their ticket to the FIBA ​​U19 World Cup 2023.

FIBA