The Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team faced a defeat against Germany during the world championships in Ottawa on Friday. The 89-73 loss at the Arena at TD Place brought the host team’s record to one win and one loss in the tournament.
Nikola Goncin led the Canadian scorers with 25 points, followed by Colin Higgins with 21 points and Reed De’aeth contributing 14 points from the bench. Goncin also recorded four rebounds and three assists, while Higgins grabbed eight rebounds and made five assists.
Despite leading by three points at one stage, Canada finished with 17 second-chance points and 24 points in the paint. The team started the tournament by defeating Morocco 74-51 but was set to play against Iran, who withdrew from the competition last weekend.
Goncin acknowledged the team’s improvement, stating that despite the loss, they displayed a significantly more competitive performance than in the previous game. He emphasized taking the positives from the match.
In the third quarter, Canada scored 14 points, reducing the deficit to 76-53. They capitalized on opportunities on both ends, securing 11 second-chance points and six fast-break points leading into the final quarter.
Germany held a 30-26 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 50-39 by halftime. The Canadian men will be back in action on Monday for a crossover match.
On the other hand, the undefeated Canadian women’s team (2-0) is scheduled to play against China on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast on CBC TV, CBCSports.ca, and CBC Gem.
