Edey has 18 points, 17 boards as Canada beats Senegal to remain unbeaten at World Cup

DAUGAVPILS, Latvia — Zach Edey had 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead Canada to an 85-56 rout of Senegal on Tuesday, to close out the group phase of the FIBA U19 men’s basketball World Cup.

Ryan Nembhard had 17 points and eight assists, while Caleb Houstan finished with 15 points and 10 boards for the Canadians, who finished atop Group A with three decisive victories. 

Edey, a seven-foot-four centre for Purdue, has had a terrific showing in the tournament despite having spent time at the senior men’s camp in Victoria and arriving late to Latvia. 

“Zach answered the call, even after . . . missing training camp,” said coach Paul Weir. “His confidence and willingness to be part of the team has made his transition to the U19 squad easy. That’s a testament to the type of person he is and he’s a terrific player.”

Canada expected a physical game from Senegal. 

“We really hadn’t faced a team like this yet so it was a good challenge for us,” Weir said. “They’re probably the closest to (the Americans) physicality-wise. Our guys were physical and aggressive and didn’t get pushed around the way Senegal has the ability to do.”

Canada, which also beat Lithuania and Japan in group action, faces the fourth-place team from Group B in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.  

“We know we can beat anyone in this tournament if we stick to our game plan and do what we need to do,” Edey said. 

Canada won the 2017 U19 World Cup in Cairo, Canada Basketball’s first world victory at any age group.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2021.

The Canadian Press