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Canada vies for finals berth at Olympic qualifier in Victoria Saturday

Tip off is at 1:05 p.m. at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
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Canada’s RJ Barrett looks to shoot past China’s Zijie Shen during the first half of FIBA Men’s Olympic Qualifying basketball action at Memorial Arena in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Canada will vie for a spot in the finals of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) tournament in Victoria when they take on the Czech Republic Saturday.

The semifinal tip off is at 1:05 p.m. at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. A win on Saturday would put Canada one victory away from an Olympic berth, as the winner of the six-team qualifying tournament earns a spot in the Tokyo Summer Games next month.

Canada won the top seed in Group A after beating Greece (97-91) and China (109-79). The Czech team lost to Turkey – who ended up with the top seed from Group B – before squeaking into the semifinals with a 80-79 win over Uruguay.

Andrew Wiggins led the way in the group phase as Canada’s team-high point-getter in both round-robin games. RJ Barret scored the second most points for Canada in both group games.

The tournament is being broadcast on CBC and streamed on CBC.ca and the DAZN sports streaming service.

READ: Olympic hoops qualifier tips off in Victoria arena


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About the Author: Greater Victoria News Staff

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