(Zaragoza, Spain)

Canada saw their hopes of reaching the final four of the U17 FIBA World Championships dashed with a heartbreaking loss to Italy 58-56. Canada had three chances on the final possession to force overtime but regrettably fell short in what was a highly entertaining fourth quarter.

Starting for Canada were Laeticia Amihere, Hailey Brown, Alyssa Jerome, Sarah Donavan, and Shaina Pellington. Click here for full team roster.

"We are obviously disappointed with the result of today's game, but we did put ourselves in a position to win at the end, which is all you can ask in those situations," said head coach Jodi Gram. "While we believe we are good enough to win a medal here, we are still anxious to get back on the floor tomorrow and continue to leave our mark on the tournament."

Pellington led the Canadians with 12 points, three assists, and two steals, while Amihere was a force on the boards, grabbing 15. Brown had a strong showing, adding 11 points and five rebounds. Canada held Italy to 32% shooting and out-rebounded the Italians 47-42. However, Italy had a decided advantage in the paint, holding a 32-18 edge.

The first quarter was hard fought, as both teams battled to an even 16-16 score.  

The second quarter saw Amihere dominate on the glass, pulling down 9 rebounds to go with eight points and two steals. Brown had a solid half, scoring seven points and adding two rebounds. Canada turned the ball over often and shot 46% from the free throw line, allowing Italy take the lead 33-28.

Canada came out with great energy to start the second half, knotting the score at 36, five minutes into the frame. Jerome provided great minutes, contributing seven points and three rebounds, while Pellington had seven points and two assists through three quarters. Canada continued to struggle from the free throw line shooting 47%, but so did Italy, who shot 52%. Italy led 44-39 going into the final quarter.

With excellent defense being played on both sides, each possession was critical down the stretch. Italy picked an opportune time to hit their first three-pointer, stretching their lead to seven with five minutes remaining. A minute later, Louise Forsythe countered with a three-pointer of her own, drawing Canada to within four. With the final possession and down two, Canada created an open shot for Brown who narrowly missed from 15 feet out. Donavan grabbed the rebound and put up a floater that missed short. Amihere then grabbed the rebound and put up a bank shot that barely missed at the buzzer.

Canada's next game is Thursday June 28th in the 5th-6th place classification game.

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