MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Canada was in control from tip-off to the final whistle as it made its Group B debut at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, defeating Venezuela 88-54 on Friday at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua.
Behind North American rival United States, Canada proved it is a country to watch as they dominated in almost every statistical category, and held Venezuela to just 31 percent shooting while scoring on 55 percent of their shots.
Turning point
Canada may have led the entire game, but Venezuela kept it close when it cut the lead to just 7 points midway through the second quarter. This was thanks to a rebound followed by an and-one basket from Venezuela's Edwin Mijares. From there, Canada would hold Venezuela scoreless through the rest of the quarter, nearly four minutes of action, as Mfiondu Kabengele scored five points in two minutes, and Trae Bell-Haynes knocked down a three-pointer to increase Canada's lead back to 15.
TCL player of the game
22-year-old Kyshawn George, who plays for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, led Canada with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4 three-pointers. He tallied 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals in the win.
Kabengele and Leonard Miller both tipped in 14 points for Canada, with each player shooting at least 63 percent from the floor. David Muenkat led the shutdown charge on the board as he grabbed nine rebounds for Canada, with eight coming on the defensive glass.
Stats don’t lie
Canada led almost everywhere statistically, with two of the most impressive coming from their shooting percentage and defensive averages. And on the offensive front— shooting 55 percent as a team, including shooting over 46 percent from the three-point line. The Canadians out-rebounded Venezuela 42-32, with 32 of those boards coming from the defensive glass compared to their opponent's 18. They also grabbed 12 steals and made 7 blocks, resulting in 13 points off turnovers and 12 points on the fast break. The 34-point difference was the biggest one in a game between the two in AmeriCup history. The last biggest margin in a clash between these teams was 29 pts during the 1999 AmeriCup (CAN 84-55 VEN).
Bottom line
Canada not only played a solid offensive game that saw them shooting well from all over the floor, but they also held Venezuela to just over 30 percent shooting and controlled the pace of the game. Canada will play Panama on Saturday in Group B action, while Venezuela will face off against Puerto Rico.
They said
When asked what his teammates and fans in Washington would think of his performance, George emphasized the team effort behind it. "I feel really good… It's good to get a win in my first time representing Team Canada," said George. "I think that those fans would be happy [with my performance], I couldn't do that again by myself if I tried, I have to give it up to my team.” "We had 15 turnovers, so we can be better there next game,” he added, looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup against Panama.
FIBA