Canada has upset the United States 67-65 to win the program’s first-ever Men’s FIBA U18 AmeriCup gold medal.
Alongside this being a major first for the U18 squad, it also snaps the Americans’ record of seven straight AmeriCup titles, dating back to 2010.
Point Guard Javion Tyndale led the way scoring-wise for the Canadians, dropping 19 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. Tyndale was also named to the tournament’s All-Star Five alongside fellow Canadian Lyris Robinson. In the title game, Robinson dropped 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Robinson and Tyndale are two of three Canadians to score double-digit points in this game, alongside Deng Ngor.
“The thing that fuelled me was just the chemistry on our team,” said Robinson in an interview with Basketball Canada. “We knew coming into this tournament that we were one of the best teams here, and that we had a chance to win it all. I’m a player that loves to win and make winning plays, so seeing my teammates fight the same way I was fighting- that’s what it takes to win a championship.”
As pointed out by ClutchPoints, Canada’s efficiency at the free throw line proved to be the decisive factor in the win over the U.S.- converting 17 of 24 attempts while the U.S. managed just 3 of 8
Historically, the Canadians have actually been pretty strong in this tournament, but Gold has always been out of reach. Since 2008, the Canadians have finished third five times and second three times.
Robinson also mentioned in the interview earlier that “From training camp, we kept saying we wanted to prove Canada was the best team in the world. I think people will now respect Canada Basketball even more. We put the world on notice this week.