Kayla Alexander led the scoring with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Canada’s senior women’s national basketball team kicked off 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 the Canadian team.
Head coach Nell Fortner expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “I think it’s a positive start for us. It’s always great to begin with a win. I believe we played with resilience and excelled in rebounding. Senegal is known for their strong rebounding skills, so winning that battle is a significant achievement for us.”
Canada’s dominance on the offensive glass was evident, securing a 15-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Tara Wallack’s contribution of four offensive rebounds added to Canada’s possession control.
Swords made an early impact by sinking three three-pointers in the first quarter, helping Canada establish a lead that Senegal attempted to challenge in the third quarter.
The Canadian team outscored Senegal 26-14 in points in the paint, shooting an impressive 52.5% from that area. Despite even points off turnovers at 11, Senegal held a slight 31-29 edge in bench scoring.
Following a day off on Tuesday, Canada will next face the Philippines on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in the ongoing tournament.