Canadian men's basketball team bows out with quarter-final loss to Croatia

Print

E-mail

Text

Scarborough's Rowan Barrett won't be a two-time Olympian after the Canadian national team lost its Olympic qualifying quarterfinal match 83-62 to favoured Croatia.

The loss knocked Canada out of the 12-team Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens, with only the top three squads advancing to Beijing.

Barrett, a former West Hill Collegiate standout, was again in double digits for Canada with 13 points, topped only by fellow Toronto resident Olu Famutimi with 14 points for Canada.

Barrett led the Canadian team in scoring in its first two games, including 22 points in the remarkable come-from-behind, do-or-die 79-77 win over South Korea, and 16 points in the opening game 86-70 loss to Slovenia.

"We have a young nucleus of guys who need this experience to bring Canada back to prominence," said Barrett following the match, in comments posted on Basketball Canada's website.

"Looking at the future, it's nice to see a stable of young guys who are getting better... Every country has their time."

At 35 years old, it's unlikely Barrett, who helped Canada to a seventh place finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a 5-2 record, will be in the mix for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

The current Canadian team will play one last game together as they head down to Las Vegas to give the U.S. national team its final pre-Olympic tune-up on July 25.

Another ex-east Toronto high school player also played a key role for Canada.

Point guard Jermaine Anderson, who suited up for the powerhouse Eastern Commerce team), scored 7 points in the final game and also played an instrumental role in Canada's improbable comeback over South Korea earlier in the tournament.