Silver lining for Canada as it seizes quarter-final berth, falls to Germany at 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto

TORONTO, June 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Team Canada punched its ticket to the quarter-finals before falling 64-53 to reigning Paralympic champion Germany on Monday night at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ont.

With a berth to the playoff round secure, Canada will now square off against Great Britain for second place in Group B as the two sides with identical 3-1 records meet at 6 p.m. ET on June 24 to close out the preliminary round.

Canada came out firing on all cylinders against the Germans in front of the hometown crowd. Backed by the shooting finesse of Cindy Ouellet and Katie Harnock, the Canadians held the 34-31 advantage at halftime in a physical, seesaw battle.

Germany turned the tide in the third quarter as it took its first lead of the game as the Canadians struggled to maintain their earlier rhythm. The trend continued into the final quarter as Germany ultimately pulled away to cement the win.

"If we are only going to beat them once in the tournament then we'd rather it is in the playoff games. We missed a couple of shots and made a couple of turnovers, and against a team as talented as Germany that makes all the difference," said Team Canada Head Coach Bill Johnson, of Winnipeg, Man.

Ouellet, of Quebec City, Que., led all Canadians with 16 points while Harnock, of Elmira, Ont., followed up with 12 points. Germany's one-two punch of Marina Mohnen and Geshe Schuenemann drove the offensive attack with 29 and 28 points, respectively.

The Canadian women are in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh consecutive podium finish at the world championship, and the tournament is Canada's first major test on the road to the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The tournament runs June 20-28 and is the largest women's world championship in history, featuring teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru and the United States.

All games of the competition are being webcast live online through CBC Sports' free desktop video player and SportsCanada.TV's digital platforms, as well as through the official tournament website. Tickets are also on sale online and at the Mattamy Athletic Centre box office.

For complete results and more information please visit www.2014wheelchairbasketball.com / #2014wcbasketball.

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About the Event

Over 400 athletes, coaches, officials, delegates, and volunteers will attend the 2014 WWWBC that features 12 participating countries. Canadians can catch a sneak peek at the top 12 female wheelchair basketball players in Canada, including emerging local talent and highly decorated stars, preparing to compete in one of the most fiercely competitive and exciting spectator sports to be played at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

About Team Canada

Team Canada is in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh straight podium performance, remarkably, having medalled at every single world championship including the capture of four consecutive gold medals (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006), and bronze medals in 1990 and 2010.

About the Host

Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the host of the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship. The event marks Canada's fourth opportunity to host a landmark international wheelchair basketball championship - having previously hosted the Men's World Championship in 1994, the inaugural U23 Men's World Championships in 1997, and the first-ever U25 Women's World Championships in 2011.

Image with caption: "Silver lining for Canada as it seizes quarter-final berth, falls to Germany at 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto(CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)) (CNW Group/Wheelchair Basketball Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140623_C8491_PHOTO_EN_41678.jpg

SOURCE: Wheelchair Basketball Canada

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