Cadet Men’s National Team Win Opener Over Chile, Tyrell Bellot-Green Leads with 16
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CANCUN, MEXICO— The Cadet Men’s National Team (CMNT) got off to a strong start at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men in Cancun, Mexico with a convincing 98-53 victory over Chile. The CMNT used an efficient offense and stingy defense to kick-start the tournament.
“It’s always special to watch these young kids play their first game of their national team career,” said Head Coach, Roy Rana. “They responded by playing a solid team game in which everyone made a contribution. We are happy with our start but understand that the road only becomes more difficult.”
The CMNT shot a blistering 54.8% from the field, which included an impressive 14-21 (66.7%) from beyond the arc, compared to Chile’s three made 3-point field goals on 23 attempts. Tyrell Bellot-Green (Toronto, ON), made all four of his 3-point attempts and led the team offensively with 16 points. Malcolm Duvivier (Toronto, ON) and Marial Shayok (Ottawa, ON) chipped in with 13 points each. Overall, six players scored in double figures for the CMNT’s opening win.
On the defensive end, the CMNT held Chile to a mere 29.0% shooting from the field. They out-rebounded Chile 58-31, led by a game-high 11 rebounds from Jordan Robinson (Toronto, ON). Shayok fell just short of a double-double, grabbing 8 rebounds.
“It was a great way to start off the tournament and a nice experience for our team,” said Shayok. “I am proud of our guys because we played a solid team game and I’m looking forward to playing better as a group as the tournament progresses.”
The CMNT led throughout the game, getting out to a 23-12 lead after the opening quarter. Thanks to a Duvivier jumper in the final seconds before halftime, Canada was able to push their lead to 48-25. In the second half, the CMNT continued to build their lead for the eventual victory.
The win gives Canada a 1-0 record at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Their next game is tomorrow at 4:oo pm local time (5:00 pm ET) versus Puerto Rico, who was recently crowned CONCENCABA champions to earn the right to participate in the tournament.
The game will be broadcast live streaming online at http://www.fibaamericas.com. Game summary and boxscore will be posted on http://www.basketball.ca.
