Kayla Alexander led the scoring with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Canada’s senior women’s national basketball team as they kicked off the FIBA Olympic pre-qualifying tournament with a 72-57 victory over Senegal in Guadalajara, Mexico. Syla Swords and Delaney Gibb contributed 13 points each to the win.
Head coach Nell Fortner expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “Starting with a win is always positive. We played tough and executed well on the boards, especially against Senegal, a strong rebounding team. It’s a good feeling to win that battle and secure our first victory.”
Canada’s dominance on the offensive glass was notable, out-rebounding Senegal 15-8 in that aspect. Tara Wallack’s four offensive rebounds played a significant role in creating additional scoring opportunities for Canada.
Swords made a significant impact early in the game, hitting three three-pointers in the first quarter to propel Canada to a comfortable lead. Despite Senegal’s resurgence in the third quarter, Canada maintained control throughout the game.
In terms of key statistics, Canada had a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint, shooting 52.5% from that area. Both teams scored 11 points off turnovers, while Senegal narrowly outscored Canada’s bench 31-29.
The team will enjoy a day off on Tuesday before their next game against the Philippines on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
