TORONTO, June 21, 2014 /CNW/ - Team Canada is 2-0 after cruising past Brazil 63-25 on Saturday at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ont.
Canada pressured the young Brazilian side early and went on a 16-3 run in the middle of the opening quarter and never looked back en route to a 42-17 lead at halftime. While the offence got it done in the first part of the game, the Canadian defence took over in the latter half to limit Brazil to eight points.
"We pride ourselves on our defence, so we put a lot of work into our defence in the past year or so," said Team Canada Head Coach Bill Johnson, of Winnipeg, Man. "We know that there's going to be days where that's not going to be as easy and that's why we really want to be able to fall back on our strong defence."
Janet McLachlan, of Vancouver, B.C., led all players with 21 points while teammate and Quebec City native Cindy Ouellet followed suit with 11 points. Rookie Arinn Young, of Legal, Alta., also chimed in with 10 points. Brazil's Perla Assuncão tallied a team-high seven points.
Canada will collide with China in its next match at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 22.
The hometown Canadian side is in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh consecutive podium finish at the world championship, and the tournament is Canada's first major test on the road to the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The tournament runs June 20-28 and is the largest women's world championship in history, featuring teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru and the United States.
Complete Results - June 21, 2014:
All games of the competition are being webcast live online through CBC Sports' free desktop video player and SportsCanada.TV's digital platforms, as well as through the official tournament website. Tickets are also on sale online and at the Mattamy Athletic Centre box office.
For more information please visit www.2014wheelchairbasketball.com / #2014wcbasketball.
NOTE TO EDITOR: Daily video highlights available for download VIA SendtoNews - http://www.sendtonews.com/#!highlight/story/Ja9bI4jAzB
About the Event
Over 400 athletes, coaches, officials, delegates, and volunteers will attend the 2014 WWWBC that features 12 participating countries. Canadians can catch a sneak peek at the top 12 female wheelchair basketball players in Canada, including emerging local talent and highly decorated stars, preparing to compete in one of the most fiercely competitive and exciting spectator sports to be played at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
About Team Canada
Team Canada is in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh straight podium performance, remarkably, having medalled at every single world championship including the capture of four consecutive gold medals (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006), and bronze medals in 1990 and 2010.
About the Host
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the host of the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship. The event marks Canada's fourth opportunity to host a landmark international wheelchair basketball championship - having previously hosted the Men's World Championship in 1994, the inaugural U23 Men's World Championships in 1997, and the first-ever U25 Women's World Championships in 2011.
Image with caption: "Canada's Darda Sales competes against Brazil at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship on June 21, 2014 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ont. (CNW Group/Wheelchair Basketball Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140621_C8314_PHOTO_EN_41657.jpg
SOURCE: Wheelchair Basketball Canada
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