Canada too much for Ecuador
Home team scores 62 points in first half of rout at FIBA under-18 tourney
Addison Patterson wasn’t discouraged by a slow start to the FIBA under-18 Americas Championship Sunday.
He scored just six points in a 92-75 win over Argentina on 3for-9 shooting from the field. That total included a 0-3 effort from beyond the three-point stripe.
Monday, it was a different story.
Patterson scored 20 points and shot nine-for-11 from the field to lead Canada to a 115-75 romp over Ecuador at the FIBA under-18 Americas Championship at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
“I just let the game come to me,” he said. “I was kind of struggling against Argentina. I only had six points, but it didn’t bother me. We got the win. Today was my day. Tomorrow will be someone else’s. That’s the way it is with this team.
“There is zero selfishness. We are all looking out for each other. We are a bunch of brothers trying to have fun and play together for our country.”
Patterson, a Milton native, was one of five Canadians in double figures against Ecuador. He also pulled down seven rebounds and added four assists as Canada improved its record to 2-0. Canada plays Chile in Tuesday night’s preliminary round finale Tuesday at 8:15 p.m.
Emanuel Miller, of Unionville, scored 19 points and collected eight rebounds for the Canadian basketball team, which dominated the boards, out-rebounding Ecuador 63-21.
At stake in the tournament, aside from the gold medal, are berths at next summer’s U19 FIBA World Cup. The top four teams advance.
Miller, who stands 6-foot-7, is being recruited by U.S. colleges including Ohio State and Oklahoma. He has taken recruiting trips to Notre Dame and Indiana.
He said his teammates aren’t taking any opponent lightly despite lopsided wins in the first two games.
“We aren’t treating any of the games differently,” Miller said. “We try to have the same mentality and mindset every time out. We will never take a game off.”
Edward Sanchez scored 26 points and added four assists for Ecuador as they fell to 0-2 after having dropped a 74-62 decision to Chile Sunday.
The crowd of more than 4,500 was bolstered by a loud contingent of local school children on field trips.
The teams traded baskets in the early going before Canada went on an 18-2 run to take a 37-19 lead after one quarter, much to the delight of the school kids who cheered every layup and dunk. Canada increased its margin to 61-37 at the half.
Andrew Nembhard, a 6-foot-4 guard from Thornhill who signed a letter of intent with the University of Florida Gators, turned his attention to playmaking against Ecuador and ended with nine assists and 14 points. He scored 28 in the opening game win over Argentina.
The top Canadian player in the age group isn’t at the tourna-
ment. R.J. Barrett of Mississauga is headed to Duke University and is considered the top pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
He is working out in Los Angeles with NBA skills coach and consultant Drew Hanlen, who worked previously with Toronto’s Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins went to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick in 2014.
Nembhard and Barrett were teammates at Montverde Academy in Florida, one of the top basketball programs in the United States.