Canada’s pursuit of a medal at the 2026 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup came to an end Friday after Australia pulled away for a 100-86 victory in the quarter-finals in Istanbul, Turkey.
Canada (3-2), which reached the knockout stage after rebounding from its opening-game loss to Lithuania with consecutive victories over China, Cameroon and Italy, couldn’t recover after Australia seized control midway through the opening quarter.
Canada briefly held an 8-4 advantage, but Australia quickly flipped the momentum behind its defensive pressure and efficient transition offence. The Australians closed the first quarter on a decisive run to build a 26-12 lead before carrying that momentum into the second, extending their advantage to 51-32 at halftime.
Australia never allowed the Canadians to seriously threaten after the break.
The Australians stretched the margin to 76-53 entering the fourth quarter before Canada finally found its offensive rhythm over the final 10 minutes. The Canadians scored 33 fourth-quarter points to trim the deficit, but Australia’s lead had already grown too large to overcome.
Australia controlled the game in nearly every statistical category, shooting 52.7 per cent from the field while outrebounding Canada 55-39. The Australians also finished with 36 assists on 39 made field goals and rejected 11 shots, repeatedly disrupting Canada’s attempts around the basket. Canada forced 22 turnovers and converted them into 23 points, but Australia answered by dominating the paint, outscoring the Canadians 60-44 inside.
The 100-point performance also marked just the second time a non-American opponent has reached the century mark against Canada at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. The first came earlier in the tournament when Lithuania defeated Canada 103-89 in the opening game.
Isaiah Hamilton once again led Canada’s offence with 19 points, five rebounds and two steals. Noah D’Acre added 18 points and five rebounds, while Tristan Edwards contributed 13 points, four rebounds and four steals.
Luke Paul paced Australia’s balanced attack with 21 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. William Hamilton added 16 points and four assists, Riak Akhuar scored 15 points while grabbing seven rebounds, and Yahya Basaran recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with five blocked shots.
The loss sends Canada into the 5-8 Classification Round, where it will face Puerto Rico on Saturday with an opportunity to continue its pursuit of a fifth-place finish before concluding the tournament on Sunday.
