Canadian women's basketball team eliminated from Olympics with loss to Nigeria

Canada needed a lot of things to go right for it to advance at the Olympics, but more than anything else, it needed to look like a different team after showing clear points of weakness against France and Australia.

That didn't end up being the case on Sunday as Canada lost to Nigeria 79-70, walking away from the Paris games with a winless 0-3 record and a lot to reflect on as the program turns to a younger core in the coming years.

Shay Colley had a double-edged outing, leading the way on offence with 17 points but also turning the ball over 11 times. Bridget Carleton, who has been the team’s steadiest producer at the Olympics, had 13 points but struggled mightily efficiency-wise, going 4-of-15 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range.

Nigeria (2-1), meanwhile, was led by a 21-point outing from Ezinne Kalu and a strong two-way performance from Promise Amukamara, who had 12 points, six assists and five steals for a game-high +20 plus-minus.

After struggling in its opening two games, Canada was going to need a miracle to advance at the Olympics — either a 26-point win or a nine-or-more-point win and a France victory over Australia.

Those hopes were put to rest as droughts to open the first and third quarters filled with turnovers aplenty — and an apparent lid on the basket — dug a hole too deep for Canada to climb out of.

“It’s hard. You look forward to this for four years," Carleton told reporters, per the Canadian Olympic Committee. "It’s emotional, it’s the peak of athletics, the peak of representing your country at the highest level and you want to be the best you can. Disappointed."

Kia Nurse, who was desperately needed as one of the team’s most prolific scorers, just couldn’t get it going and finished with zero points on 0-for-9 shooting from the field and 0-for-7 from deep.

Much like the brutal two-point quarter in the loss to France, Canada gave away the game coming out of the halftime break by putting up a five-point third, busting a tight game wide open and extinguishing any momentum it had prior.

Ball security has been a major source of concern, and this final outing did nothing to assuage it. Canada turned it over 26 times, leading to 27 points off turnovers. The team has also had trouble defending inside as they lost the paint battle 46-34.

The problems reared their head right away as the team turned the ball over six times in the first five minutes of the game and didn’t score a field goal until the 5:26 mark of the first quarter, courtesy of a sleek drive to the basket from Syla Swords.

Needing a change, and quickly, head coach Victor Lapeña brought in Swords and WNBA rookie Aaliyah Edwards earlier than he had in the first two games. It gave Canada some momentum midway through the first as Swords’ basket was followed by a three-pointer from Carleton off an assist from Edwards and then a 13-2 run to take the lead.

For the rest of the frame, Canada found some success with different lineups, moving away from program stalwarts Nurse and Natalie Achonwa in favour of an injection of youth from Swords, Edwards, Laeticia Amihere and Cassandre Prosper. The defence seemed to press Nigeria more, create turnovers and did a great job of getting down low to draw fouls.

That momentum carried over to the starting unit for a time once they retook the floor midway through the second, as Colley nailed two three-pointers to capitalize on turnovers and gave the Canadians a six-point lead.

Canada went into the half with a four-point lead and with a sense of promise that if its play could carry over, there may be more in store for the red-and-white at the Olympics.

But that hope didn’t last long. Turnovers became a problem again, as Nigeria capitalized on two Canada mistakes and went on an 11-0 run to open the frame. Canada scored its first point of the quarter at the 4:03 mark on a free throw and its first field goal at the 3:04 mark. At that point, Canada was down nine and searching for hope and a prayer to at least stay in it.

“We got away from what was working in the first half and that was our intensity on defence, our execution on defence," team captain Achonwa told reporters, per the Canadian Olympic Committee. "When Nigeria stepped it up another level, stepped up their intensity, we didn’t match it.” 

It wasn’t answered. No amount of substitutions from Lapeña was able to piece together a last-ditch solution for problems that plagued Canada for the entire tournament as Nigeria’s lead ballooned to 17 points.

"We felt the love and support from back home," Carleton told CBC Olympics after the game. "The Canadians that were in the stands, we had a lot of family and friends here and felt the love. Thanks for supporting, thanks for watching us. Hopefully, we can be better in the future and get to L.A."

Once the game was all but lost, Canada’s potential future core got an extended run as Lapeña sent out a lineup consisting of Swords, Prosper, Amihere, Sami Hill and Yvonne Ejim, who touched the floor for the first time in the tournament.

Mirroring that youth movement was possibly Achonwa’s final game in the red and white, with the veteran expressing a desire to retire from international basketball following the Olympics. She got some run in the closing minute and sunk a free throw in what may be the final basket of a storied career.

"No matter what, this is the best group I've been a part of," the Canadian captain said through tears to CBC Olympics after the game. "It's not always the outcome, but you gotta know that every time every one of these players put that jersey on they knew they represented so much more than themselves.

"If I had to do it all again, I'd do it again with this group in a heartbeat."

UP NEXT

Nigeria moves onto the quarterfinals but its seed is yet to be determined as it awaits the result of the France-Australia game later on Sunday.

Canada heads home, failing to advance to the knockout stage for the first time since 2000 in Sydney.

Here are all the key moments from the game.

Fourth quarter

• 1:05 - Achonwa checks back in for what might be her final time donning the red-and-white. Nothing but respect for the four-time Olympian.

• 3:15 - Canada appears to be waving the white flag on the game and the Olympics as Yvonne Ejim checks in for just the first time all tournament. She joins an all-bench lineup to close out the contest. 70-58 Nigeria.

• 4:16 - Colley slices through the lane and gets to the cup through contact for an and-one finish. Signs of a comeback or is it too little too late for Canada? 70-56 Nigeria.

• 5:42 - Tensions appear high for Canada as Nurse picks up a technical foul after some choice words directed at the officials. 66-51 Nigeria.

• 7:28 - Achonwa gets a layup to fall after checking in for the first time in the second half. She's scored both of Canada's field goals in the frame thus far. 62-50 Nigeria.

• 10:00 - It's gut-check time for the Canadian women who need to win by at least nine points to have any hopes of advancing.

Third quarter

End of third quarter: Nigeria 60, Canada 46

• 0:12 - Nicole Ebosi drills a three in the final moments of the frame and gives Nigeria its biggest lead of the ball game. Canada gets outscored 23-5 in the third.

• 1:23 - After a steady second quarter, turnover struggles have yet again cost Canada. A steal from Elizabeth Balogun on Colley forces Canada's sixth turnover of the third and forces Canada to call timeout. 46-55 Nigeria.

• 3:04 - Alexander makes a layup for Canada's first field goal of the frame. A desperately needed bucket for the red-and-white. 44-53 Nigeria.

• 8:04 - Safe to say going with the youngsters early didn't pay off as Kalu hits a three and Nigeria opens the half on a 9-0 run...Canada calls timeout. 46-41 Nigeria.

• 10:00 - Lapena makes a bold move to start the second half, going with Syla Swords and Edwards to open the frame in place of Nurse and Achonwa.

HALFTIME

Second quarter

End of second quarter: Canada 41, Nigeria 37

• 0:00 - Nigeria ends the half on a 7-2 run, or rather Ezinne Kalu does, as she scores all seven points to cut into Canada's lead.

• 1:45 - Colley is on fire right now as the starting point guard drills a long two-pointer, putting her up to eight points in the frame. 39-30 Canada.

2:55 - Colley finds a rolling Alexander who goes up strong through contact and makes the layup, and-one. 37-28 Canada.

• 3:49 - Nurse pushes the pace in transition and finds Colley who hits a second consecutive three! Canada takes its largest lead of the game on the 6-0 run and Nigeria calls timeout. 34-28 Canada.

• 5:55 - Carleton continues to be Canada's top offensive option as she drives and pulls up for a mid-range jumper near the left elbow area. The Chatham, Ont. native is up to 10 points with the make and is the game's first double-digit scorer. 26-26.

• 8:05 - Canada's defence has picked up significantly after a slow start as Alexander forces Nigeria's second turnover in the early goings of the frame. 24-21 Canada.

First quarter

End of first quarter: Canada 18, Nigeria 18

• 1:47 - Laeticia Amihere gets inside and drops a layup for Canada's first lead of the ball game following an 8-0 run! The bench unit is making an impact early. 15-14 Canada.

• 4:55 - Carleton drills her first three of the ball game. A much-needed basket for Canada to help cut into the deficit. 12-7 Nigeria.

• 6:32 - Not an ideal start for the red-and-white as head coach Victor Lapena calls a timeout following a transition layup by Nigeria on Canada's fifth turnover of the opening frame. 10-2 Nigeria.

• 7:31 - Alexander knocks down a pair of free throws to stop Nigeria's game-opening run at 6-0. 6-2 Nigeria.

• 10:00 - Nigeria wins the opening tip, and we're off!

Pre-game

• Canada sticks with the same starting five of Shay Colley, Kia Nurse, Bridget Carleton, Natalie Achonwa and Kayla Alexander.