Canada, on their way to the quarterfinals, secured their fifth consecutive win in the women’s wheelchair basketball world championships in Ottawa by defeating Great Britain 92-91 in double overtime. Arinn Young’s foul shot with seven seconds remaining pushed Canada ahead 92-88 before Katie Morrow’s three-pointer at the buzzer narrowed the gap to one. Despite Young wanting a foul call before her shot, the officials ended the game after a video review.
Elise Froese, a rookie, made critical foul shots with 36.9 seconds left, giving Canada a four-point lead at 89-85. Great Britain forced a second overtime when Robyn Love hit a three-pointer at the last second at Carleton University.
Canada seemed poised for victory with 42.4 seconds left in regulation as Young’s foul shots extended their lead to 70-66. However, Great Britain, who finished second in Group A with a 4-1 record, managed to level the score with 25 seconds remaining, thanks to Lucy Robinson. Robinson then missed two crucial free throws that could have secured the win for her team.
Despite losing top scorer Kady Dandeneau in the final minute of the fourth quarter due to her second unsportsmanlike foul of the match, Canada’s late-game and overtime performance was remarkable. Dandeneau scored 27 points, second only to Young, who led with 32 points. Dandeneau also contributed 16 rebounds and 12 assists. Young added 10 rebounds and five assists, while Froese scored 12 points.
Great Britain’s top scorers were Love with 23 points, followed by Morrow with 17 points, and Laurie Williams with 14 points. Williams notably penetrated the Canadian defense in the third quarter, scoring nine points to give Britain a 49-48 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Canada shot 50% from the field in the first half, building a 34-30 lead. They dominated the boards throughout the game, finishing with a 55-37 rebound advantage over Great Britain. Canada won gold in the 2014 championships held in Toronto, their last victory when the tournament was in Canada.
Canada’s men face second consecutive defeat
Earlier on Tuesday, the Canadian men’s team suffered a 78-67 loss to Argentina in a match for 9th-16th place at Carleton University. Argentina’s victory, their first in the Ottawa tournament, advanced them to a 9th-12th place match.
Argentina outscored Canada after the first quarter, securing the win by scoring 21 points in the final quarter while Canada managed only nine points. Argentina’s captain, Carlos Esteche, led with 29 points, 14 of which came in the final quarter, along with five rebounds and four assists. Nik Goncin was the top performer for Canada with 23 points and 13 rebounds, adding seven assists. Colin Higgins contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists.
Canada, who also lost 79-65 to Poland in a Round of 16 game the previous day, last secured a medal at the tournament in 2006, winning gold in Amsterdam.
