Alexander's 21 points lead Canada to win over Australia in pre-Olympic game

SEGOVIA, Spain — Kayla Alexander had 21 points and six rebounds as Canada's women's basketball team continued its preparations for the Paris Olympics with a 77-74 win over No. 3 Australia on Tuesday.

Natalie Achonwa added 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting and six rebounds for No. 5 Canada, while Bridget Carleton chipped in with 10 points.

Carleton put the finishing touches on the back-and-forth game by hitting a pair of free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining.

“The team was poised down the stretch,” Alexander said. “That poise allowed us to take a close game and get the (win).

"I thought offensively, we were able to use a lot of our weapons. We were finding people in their right spots and creating great opportunities for one another.”

Canada shot just 38 per cent from the floor, compared to 47 per cent for Australia. But the aggressive Canadians got to the line more, hitting 21 of their 26 free-throw attempts. Australia went 10-for-14 from the line.

The Canadians also outrebounded Australia 44-32, including 15-3 on the offensive glass.

Jade Melbourne led Australia with a game-high 23 points.

Australia led 39-34 at the half, but Alexander hit nine of her points in the third quarter as Canada took a 57-56 lead into the final frame.

The Aussies made it close when Melbourne scored, cutting Canada's lead to one point with 1:03 left. However, Canada held strong, and after defending a late layup attempt, Carleton drew the foul that would clinch the game."

“Defence at the end of the day won us that game, especially because it was so close,” Alexander said. “It was literally a possession game."

The two teams will meet again on Aug. 1 in preliminary-round play at the Paris Games.

Canada improved to 1-2 in pre-Olympic play and played its first game with WNBA players Carleton, Aaliyah Edwards and Kia Nurse in the lineup.

The Canadians finish their tune-up series Wednesday against Spain in Segovia before opening Olympic play July 29 against host France.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.