MANILA (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) – Canada had to buckle down to work, but their efforts paid off after they survived a gritty Senegal, 58-55, on the second day of the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila.

Turning Point: After Maurice Ndour hit a three-pointer with 59 seconds to go in the game to trim the deficit to just 2 points, 55-53, teammate Clevin Hannah had a chance to give Senegal the lead, but he missed on his own three-point attempt with 21 ticks to go. He also missed a second time at the buzzer with Senegal down by just 3 points, and that out the outcome beyond doubt.

Stats Don't Lie: Senegal was right in it for practically the entire game, but they just couldn’t get over the hump. The main culprit was their awful field goal shooting. As a team, the Lions missed 50 of their 69 field goal attempts, which translated to a paltry 28% success rate. Canada didn’t do much better at 32%, but they compensated by also forcing 16 Senegalese turnovers.

Game Hero: In a game with terrible offense on both sides, it was Melvin Ejim who was the silent hero. Ejim, who plays in the Italian Serie A, tallied 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 three-pointer and 1 block, giving the Canadians the lift they needed when their stars were struggling.

The Bottom Line: Canada sweep Group A and enter the Semi-Finals as the favorites against whomever they’ll face from Group B. They’ll need to rediscover their shooting form, though, because missing 44 field goals and 9 free throws may not cut it again, especially in a knockout game.

FIBA