Team USA Midwest outscored Canada 21-13 in the fourth quarter to claim the 2011 Nike Global Challenge Championship.
The two undefeated squads came out flying and the score was all knotted-up at 27-27 after one period.
Team USA Midwest opened up the second quarter on a 5-0 run and took a 32-27 advantage, forcing Canada to quickly call a timeout. The Canadians regained their composure and pulled ahead midway through the quarter and led by six points at the 2:00 minute mark.
Mental mistakes and a dunk at the buzzer by Gary Harris trimmed Canada’s lead to 57-55 at half-time.
The slug fest continued in the third period, with both teams traded baskets and were unable to find any separation. Nazareth Long connected on a long deuce in the dying minutes of the period to extend Canada’s lead to 81-78.
Anthony Bennett was the top scorer for Canada with 20 points and seven rebounds. Canadian basketball phenom Andrew Wiggins started slowly but finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Big men Sim Bhullar was unstoppable for most of the game and wrapped up a solid tournament with a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double and three blocked shots. Tyler Ennis also added 15 points and five assists.
For the USA Midwest, Archie Goodwin finished with a game-high 23 points and Jarnell Stokes 13 points and eight rebounds. Tony Parker also had 10 points and eight boards.
This marks the second-time that Team Canada has come up short in the finals. Myck Kabongo missed a three-point shot at the buzzer at the 2009 games as Canada lost 105-104 to a stacked USA East squad that featured Harrison Barnes, Josh Selby, Austin Rivers and Kyrie Irving the #1 overall draft pick on the 2011 NBA Draft.
International All-Tournament Team
Chen Ying-Chun, Chinese-Taipei
Maximilian Kleber, Germany
Henrique Coelho, Brazil
Will Martinez, Puerto Rico
Anthony Bennett, Canada
Andrew Wiggins, Canada (MVP)
USA All-Tournament Team
Omar Calhoun, USA East
Tony Parker, USA Midwest
Cameron Biedscheid, USA East
Aaron Gordon, USA West
Archie Goodwin, USA Midwest
Jabari Parker, USA Midwest (MVP)
