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06 - 20
August 2016
08/08/2016
Game Report
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Canada rally from 18 points down to beat Serbia

RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Canada came all the way back from an 18-point third quarter deficit to edge out Serbia, 71-67, in Monday's Group B clash at Deodoro's Youth Arena.

In a match-up featuring two continental champions, it was the team from the Americas that came out on top as Lisa Thomaidis' charges displayed plenty of resilience to fight back from being down 52-34 midway through the third quarter and take a win that sees them improve to 2-0 in Group B of the Women's Olymmpic Basketball Tournament. 

Turning Point: Serbia took a 57-45 lead into the fourth quarter but Canada worked their way back into the game and tied it at 59 on Nirra Fields' three-pointer with 4:45 left to play. Ana Dabovic made a pair of free-throws with 1:11 remaining and Serbia looked bound to claim a first win at the Olympics. However Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe grabbed an offensive rebound off of a Fields miss putback and converted a three-point play for a 68-67 edge with 48 seconds left. Serbia turned the ball over on the next possession and Miah-Marie Langlois buried a three-pointer in the closing seconds for the final score.

Stats Don't Lie: Canada outscored Serbia 26-10 in the final quarter. The EuroBasket Women 2015 champions weren't helped by the fact that they went scoreless for the first 4:56 of the period. 

Game Hero: Kia Nurse finished with a game-high 25 points and willed her team to get back into the game. The Canadians couldn't have pulled it off without the key fourth quarter contributions from Fields - who had all 8 of her points in the final frame - and Raincock-Ekunwe, who didn't succumb under the pressure in converting the biggest play down the stretch. 

The Bottom Line: After the game, Serbia head coach Marina Maljkovic stayed in her seat for quite a few minutes, probably contemplating how her team let an 18-point lead slip away and the uphill climb they now face to make it out of Group B with games against the USA, China and Senegal to come.   

FIBA