CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — In a thrilling start to their FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2025 campaign, Canada overcame a gritty Venezuela squad 66–62 at Gimnasio Universitario UACJ on Monday, thanks to a breakout performance from 15-year-old Isaiah Hamilton.
The six-foot-six swingman from Oakville, Ontario erupted for a game-high 24 points — the most by a Canadian in this tournament since Caleb Houstan’s 29-point outburst against the Dominican Republic in 2019.
Hamilton scored 14 of those in the second half, including a flurry of crowd-pleasing dunks and a spectacular between-the-legs finish in the final minute to seal the win.
A product of Crestwood Preparatory College, the 15-year-old first made national headlines at last year’s U15 Canadian Championships with Team Ontario. Against Venezuela, he dominated with athleticism and clutch shot-making, shooting 8-of-12 from the field — including 2-of-4 from three-point range, one of which resulted in a four-point play — and 6-of-10 from the foul line.
Both teams struggled to find rhythm early, with Canada deploying a 2-3 zone that disrupted Venezuela’s initial offence. The Canadians opened up a 16–11 lead, but Venezuela stormed back with a timely three-pointer and transition bucket to take a narrow advantage, forcing a timeout from Canadian head coach Chris Cheng.
By halftime, Canada had nudged ahead 28–23 behind ten first-half points from Hamilton and strong rebounding from guard Kenyon St. Louis (Toronto, Ont.), who finished with five points, eight rebounds, and three assists despite shooting just 1-of-8 from the field.
The second half featured a faster tempo, tighter defence, and 12 lead changes as both teams exchanged momentum. Venezuela, the reigning U15 South American Champions, opened the third quarter on a 5–0 run using their own zone defence to tie the game at 28–28.
They remained within striking distance thanks to dribble penetration and timely corner three-point shooting, while Canada continued to struggle from beyond the arc, finishing just 4-of-25 (16%) from long range.
Tied at 47 with just under seven minutes remaining, Canada strung together a 15–4 run — sparked by high-pressure defence and transition finishes — to go up 62–51 with 2:45 to play.
Isaiah Clarke (Mississauga, Ont.), a six-foot-eight forward, was pivotal during the stretch, recording a massive double-double off the bench with 14 points and 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Clarke shot an efficient 5-of-7 from the field and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line, giving Canada an interior edge at both ends.
But Venezuela wouldn’t go away quietly. Sloppy ball-handling from Canada — who finished with 26 turnovers — allowed an 11–0 Venezuelan run that tied the game at 62–62 with under two minutes remaining.
That’s when Canada’s athleticism and depth took over. Clarke slammed home a powerful dunk to regain the lead, followed shortly after by Hamilton’s exclamation point — a steal followed by a between-the-legs dunk that sent the Canadian bench into a frenzy and secured the four-point victory.
Liam Mitakaro (Edmonton, Alta.), a highly touted 6-foot-4 guard, provided valuable stability off the bench, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a game-high six steals that disrupted Venezuela’s rhythm throughout the contest.
Jordan Fisher, the younger brother of Canadian national team forward Elijah Fisher, chipped in five points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a strong two-way showing.
Canada also got a glimpse of its future in the towering 14-year-old Jérémy Gohier (Laval, Que.). The 7-foot-6 center played limited minutes (9), but made an impact defensively with three rebounds and a block in his tournament debut.
For Venezuela, Julio Vásquez led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, while guard Williams Anillo added 12 points on highly efficient 5-of-6 shooting from the field, along with six rebounds.
Despite their struggles — including 26 turnovers — Canada controlled several key areas of the game. They outscored Venezuela 38–26 in the second half, held a 36–28 advantage in points in the paint, led 14–4 in fast break points, 16–11 in second chance points, and 32–16 in bench scoring.
Venezuela’s lone statistical edge came in points off turnovers, where they converted Canada’s miscues into 21 points, compared to just 19 for the Canadians.
Canada now opens Group B play 1–0 and will face Brazil on Tuesday before wrapping up preliminary action against Puerto Rico. A top-two finish in the group would move them into the semifinal round and keep their championship hopes alive.
Hamilton’s emergence as a potential star provides optimism for Canadian basketball’s pipeline, continuing the tradition of this tournament serving as a springboard for future professional careers.
Past Canadian standouts who have used the FIBA U16 AmeriCup as a launching pad include Kevin Pangos, Anthony Bennett, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Caleb Houstan, Shaedon Sharpe, the Nembhard brothers, Andrew and Ryan and many more. With his combination of size, athleticism, and clutch gene on full display against Venezuela, Hamilton looks poised to follow in their footsteps as the next Canadian prospect to make noise on the international stage.
This year’s FIBA U16 AmeriCup — already filled with dramatic finishes and wild momentum swings — promises to showcase the depth and talent of basketball throughout the Americas.
For Canada, they’ll hope Hamilton’s spectacular debut is just the beginning of another memorable tournament run for a national program that has never failed to medal at this event, earning four silver and four bronze medals across its first eight editions.
A top-four finish would also secure Canada a spot at next year’s FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup — a stage where many of the country’s rising stars have continued their development.
