Update time! Follow that dolphin!
Round 1 of the Americas Championships ended up going well for us, with big wins over both Costa Rica (104-60) and Peru (64-43). The result against Peru was especially encouraging, and was a very entertaining defensive slugfest....if you like games where neither team can score. :P These 2 wins left us with a 6-0 record, and the number 1 seed in our group.
The #1 seed in Pool A resulted in us being sent to Pool D, along with Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, the United States, and Venezuela (listed in the order of our schedule). Here's the story so far....
We started out by facing a strong team from Colombia, which was perhaps a bit stronger than I gave them credit for. I expected a very low scoring defensive game, and that's what we got. Unfortunately, Colombia chose to use an extra level of effort, and that was too much for Canada to overcome. Only 2 of our players, Castro and Massicotte, reached double digit points, and Colombia pulled out a 65-57 victory.
The next week, against Chile, we expected another very tough game. Luckily for us, we managed to get our offense humming, and were in control the whole game. Playing at equal effort, the final score ended up being 97-80. A lot of our players had great games, but I'd like to make special mention of Rudolph Lentz. In only 20 minutes, Lentz put up 23 points on just 12 shots, while playing great defense and posting a +16 rating. That line certainly impressed me, and was a big reason that we were able to pull off a key win.
The situation in our group is now very complicated. Colombia has beaten Canada, Canada has beaten Chile, and Chile has beaten the U.S. That kind of start to a group is not something you see every season, and just about anything could end up happening as we head into the stretch run. There is the potential for a crazy finish to things, and a wild ride for everyone interested in the U21 teams...maybe not a Mr.Toad's wild ride, but a wild ride nonetheless.
Last edited by The Mogul at 6/28/2011 2:25:06 PM