Nobody on Canada’s roster was alive the final time the crew gained a medal on the Ladies’s World Cup. Now the Canadians are one win away from taking one for the primary time since 1986, after they took bronze.
Kia Nurse scored 17 factors to guide a balanced Canadian crew to a 79-60 victory over Puerto Rico on Thursday within the quarterfinals.
“It is crucial,” mentioned Nurse. “It was a process for us and all of us felt dissatisfied. Quarterfinals has been our failure for a very long time and to have the ability to recover from that hump.
“I feel our nation is constant to actually get pleasure from basketball on the grassroots stage and that is only the start of what we will do.”
Subsequent up is Friday’s sport in opposition to the US, which beat Serbia 88-55.
“Our want is to win within the quarterfinals and go to the semifinals. The medal spherical is the place we need to be,” Canada’s Bridget Carleton mentioned.
READ MORE: Carleton’s 27 factors lead Canada to victory over Mali on the FIBA Ladies’s World Cup
One other semi-final can be between China and Belgium or host Australia. China gained by defeating France 85-71. Though Canada’s medal drought is just not lengthy, China has not gained since 1994 when the Asian nation took silver.
Canada (5-1) and Puerto Rico have been tied 4-4 earlier than scoring the subsequent 12 factors to start out a 22-7 burst to shut the quarter.
The lead grew to 44-23 on the half. Puerto Rico could not actually reduce into its deficit within the second half thanks partly to Nurse and the truth that Canada solely had 4 rebounds your entire sport. After spending 11 months recovering from an ACL damage, he made his World Cup debut. He had his finest sport of the event in opposition to Puerto Rico.
The loss ended an incredible run for Puerto Rico, which superior to the quarterfinals for the primary time in its historical past. Gamers hoped the unprecedented run might deliver cheer to the island, which is recovering from Hurricane Fiona.
“The phrase heritage sums it up,” mentioned Arella Guirantes, who had 19 factors to guide Puerto Rico (2-4). “Leaving one thing like that to the younger individuals arising is greater than any victory or defeat we might have… It means quite a bit to be the primary a part of the legacy.
“There isn’t a doubt in my thoughts that we are going to come again and we can be higher.”
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