Kayla Alexander led the scoring for Canada’s senior women’s national basketball team with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in their opening game of the FIBA Olympic pre-qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. Canada secured a 72-57 victory over Senegal on Monday.
Contributing to the team’s success, Syla Swords and Delaney Gibb added 13 points each for Canada. Head coach Nell Fortner expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing the importance of starting the tournament with a win. Fortner praised the team’s toughness and solid rebounding efforts against a strong Senegal team known for dominating the boards.
Canada showcased dominance on the offensive glass, outrebounding Senegal 15-8 in that area. Tara Wallack’s impressive four offensive rebounds contributed significantly to Canada’s possession control throughout the game.
Swords played a pivotal role in Canada’s early lead by sinking three three-pointers in the first quarter. Despite Senegal’s comeback attempt in the third quarter, Canada maintained control of the game, leading by as many as 17 points.
In key statistical categories, Canada held a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint, shooting 52.5% from that zone. Both teams scored 11 points off turnovers, while Senegal narrowly outscored Canada’s bench players 31-29.
Canada will enjoy a day off on Tuesday before their next matchup against the Philippines on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.