Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

17-year-old Canadian basketball guard Elijah Fisher attacks the basket and helps Canada beat Lithuania at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup

FIBA

Canadian comeback downs Lithuania at 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup

Trailing by fourteen (14) points in the second-half, Team Canada turned-up the pressure, snapped a three-game losing skid to Lithuania at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.

The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup has proven to be fertile ground for some of Canada’s brightest stars to shine and make a name for themselves. Over the years names like Tyler Ennis, Andrew Wiggins, Trey Lyles, RJ Barrett and countless others improved their stock by showing out in front of a global audience.

Sparked by the play of two high school teammates and national champions, No. 2 FIBA-ranked Canada fought-off a pesky fifth-ranked Lithuania squad 80-71 to earn their first win of the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.

Trailing by 14-points, at 48-34 with 7:17 to play in the third-quarter, a deficit easily attributed by a dismal shooting display and turnover infested first-half, Team Canada outscored Lithuania 48-29 the rest of the way to pick up their first-ever win over the basketball crazy European nation. Canada previously dropped games to Lithuania dating back to 2007, 2011 and 2013.

Canada rod the early and steady hot hand of six-foot-eight shooting guard Caleb Houstan, got an explosive performance from young 17-year-old phenom Elijah Fisher, maximum rebounding effort from Zach Edey and closed out the game with the clutch shooting and play making ability of Ryan Nembhard.

Ryan nembhard caleb houstan help canada come from behind defeats lithuania at 2021 fiba u19 world cup
Ryan Nembhard and Caleb Houstan help Canada come from behind to defeat Lithuania at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia – Photo: FIBA

Houstan and Nembhard scored a team-high 18 points to lead four Team Canada players in double-figures. Nembhard scored 12 in the last 2:50 of the game to lift the Canadians to the seven point win over the Lithuanians. Houstan helped Canada stay in the game with 13 first-half points as Lithuania drilled 7-of-17 three-pointers to take a 42-32 half-time lead.

“We got a lot of guys who came off the bench and contributed, and I think that’s a good testament to our team. [The ability] to push through against a real good team. We were down most of the game and came out with the win,” said Houstan.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Canadian forward zach edey registers big double double canada past lithuania at 2021 fiba u19 world cup
Canadian 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey registers big double-double as Canada beats Lithuania at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia – Photo: FIBAD

Zach Edey (Toronto, Ont.) grabbed ten (10) first-half rebounds and finished with a large-size double-double of 12 points and 16 rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting. The seven-foot-four center logged 29 minutes, earning more playing time than any game he played during his freshman season with the Purdue Boilermakers.

“This was the perfect first game for us,” Head Coach Paul Weir said. “We were challenged by a great opponent in Lithuania, and it tested our team in many ways. To fight back and earn this victory is a great testament to a terrific group of players and staff I feel blessed to be leading right now.”

Must Read:
All-Canadian Eddie Ekiyor leaves Carleton Ravens for pro ranks
Canadian guard elijah fisher leads canada past lithuania at 2021 fiba u19 world cup
Elijah Fisher leads Canada past Lithuania at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup – Photo: FIBA

Playing his first game in a Canadian uniform, 17-year-old rising star Elijah Fisher came off the bench to score 11 points, four (4) rebounds, two (2) assists. The top ranked Canadian basketball player in the class of 2023 added one steal and threw down his first of many memorable FIBA international basketball poster dunks.

Fisher, a catalyst that ignited Canada’s comeback, finished the game shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and attacked the paint at will while showcasing his defensive ability. The Crestwood Prep guard finished the contest with a plus-minus (+/-) rating of 26, the highest of anybody, not only on the Canadian U19 team, but the entire game. Fisher also had an efficiency rating of 14.

Nana Owusu-Anane provided a spark off the bench, chipping in with six (6) points and four (4) rebounds in 23 minutes. Bennedict Mathurin contributed with 4 points, 5 rebounds but struggled to find any rhythm in a 1-8 shooting debut.

Lithuania’s Azuolas Tubelis lit-up Canada with sixteen (16) first-half points and eight (8) rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting. Tubelis a sophomore teammate of Mathurin with the Arizona Wildcats finished with a game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks on 14-of-18 shooting and 2-of-2 three-pointers.

Mantas Rubstavicius was the only other Lithuanian player in double-figures with 15 points and 5 rebounds.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Canada (1-0) will look to improve to 2-0 when they take on No. 27 Japan (0-1) in their next Group A match-up.

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertisement

BUZZING

NCAA

Zach Edey went from being ranked 436th in the 2020 class to becoming Canada's undisputed NCAA scoring leader in just four years.

FIBA

Canadian men and women's Olympic groups revealed for Paris 2024: Tough matchups await as they prepare for challenges ahead.

NCAA

21 Canadians secure spots in the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, highlighting their impact on college basketball's grand stage.

NCAA

Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard has firmly cemented his name in Canadian NCAA basketball history by shattering the single-season assists record that stood for...

NBA

Indiana Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin shined at the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Game, earning the MVP trophy with an impressive show of talent and confidence.

WNBA

Ogwumike, Canada and company may be gone, but LA can find its spark again thanks to Canadian Kia Nurse.

G League

Explore Canadian NBA G League stats for the 2023-24 season, track per-game averages for the regular season and Showcase Cup.

FIBA

Canada and the USA are set for a pre-Olympics clash in Las Vegas ahead of Paris 2024, rekindling their fierce basketball rivalry.

BasketballBuzz - Canada's Basketball Magazine