A disastrous second quarter and constant turnovers were too much for Miltonian Kayla Alexander and Canada’s women’s basketball team to overcome today (July 29).
Unable to build on a fairly promising start, the Canadians were outscored 23-2 in the second frame -- the worst quarter in team history -- en route to falling 75-54 to France in their Olympic opener.
The hosts’ ball movement and defensive pressure overwhelmed Canada for much of the contest, while subpar long-range shooting also factoring into the decisive loss.
Serving as co-captain in her second Summer Games appearance, 33-year-old Alexander played all but five minutes of the Olympic opener, recording six points and 10 rebounds.
Finishing a disappointing ninth at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Canada will continue the preliminary round Thursday against Australia, who lost its first-round game to Nigeria.