Kayla Alexander led the scoring with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Canada’s senior women’s national basketball team started the FIBA Olympic pre-qualifying tournament with a 72-57 victory over Senegal in Guadalajara, Mexico. Syla Swords and Delaney Gibb also contributed with 13 points each for Canada.
Head coach Nell Fortner expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “It’s a positive beginning for us. Beginning with a win is always ideal. We displayed toughness and performed well on the boards. Senegal is known for their strong rebounding, so winning that battle was significant. It’s great to secure that first win.”
Canada’s dominance on the offensive glass was evident, with a 15-8 advantage over Senegal. Tara Wallack’s four offensive rebounds played a crucial role in generating extra possessions for Canada.
Swords made an early impact for Canada by hitting three three-pointers in the first quarter. Despite Senegal’s attempt at a comeback in the third quarter, Canada maintained control throughout the game, leading by as much as 17 points.
In the paint, Canada outscored Senegal 26-14, shooting at an impressive 52.5% accuracy. Both teams scored 11 points off turnovers, while Senegal narrowly edged Canada 31-29 in bench scoring.
After a day off on Tuesday, Canada will face the Philippines on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in their next tournament matchup.
