In an emotionally charged night at Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre, Canada’s men’s national basketball team secured a convincing 88-71 victory over the Dominican Republic in the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers.
The game began on a somber note as the team honored the memory of Chad Posthumus, wearing black patches emblazoned with “CP” on their jerseys to remember their fallen teammate who tragically passed away earlier this week. Posthumus, who represented Canada in both 3×3 and senior men’s national team competitions, left an indelible mark on the program.
The world’s fifth-ranked team, fresh off their historic Olympic campaign in Paris, improved to 3-0 in Group C of the AmeriCup qualifiers, building on their momentum from February 2024 when they opened their qualification campaign with two wins against Nicaragua.
Mfiondu Kabengele made his senior team debut one to remember, leading all Canadian scorers with 17 points on efficient 7-of-11 shooting while adding 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. The debutante wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring the game’s first points on a layup that set the tone for what would become a dominant Canadian performance.
Montreal native Quincy Guerrier, who previously showcased his talents at the GLOBAL Jam tournament in 2023, also made his senior team debut, while Nate Darling marked his return to the national program for the first time since the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup with an efficient shooting display. Fardaws Aimaq also saw his first action in a red and white uniform and finished with seven points and seven rebounds.
Canada established control early behind Trae Bell-Haynes’s masterful orchestration of the offence. The point guard’s 10 first-quarter assists helped Canada build a 25-18 advantage, with Jackson Rowe’s thunderous dunk at the 7:04 mark energizing the Saskatoon crowd. By halftime, the lead had swelled to 49-37, largely thanks to Canada’s suffocating defence that limited the Dominican Republic to just 36.2% shooting from the field.
The third quarter saw Canada extend their advantage to 20 points, reaching 67-47 as Thomas Kennedy provided crucial minutes off the bench, finishing with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and a team-high plus-minus of +15 in just 13 minutes of action. Despite a late push from the Dominican Republic led by LJ Figueroa’s team-high 18 points, Canada’s lead proved insurmountable.
Canada’s offensive efficiency was remarkable throughout, shooting 49.3% from the field while recording assists on 32 of their 36 made field goals. Their dominance extended to the paint, where they outscored the Dominican Republic 52-36 and controlled the rebounding battle 45-38.
“I thought it was seamless,” said coach Nate Mitchell after the game. “the young guys that came in, and I think that’s a testament to how we’re building our Federation.“We had three guys that were on our U19 gold medal team [in 2017] get a chance to play up with our Senior Men’s National Team.”
As Canada prepares for their upcoming clash with Mexico in Group C play, their perfect start to AmeriCup qualification suggests this talented blend of newcomers and veterans is ready to build on the program’s recent international success.
Tonight’s performance, dedicated to the memory of Chad Posthumus, showed that Canada’s basketball family remains strong both on and off the court, setting a promising tone for their qualification journey ahead.
