Canada’s men’s wheelchair basketball team is moving on in Dubai.
The Canadians topped Brazil 69-53 on Thursday to book a spot in the quarterfinals, where it will meet the Netherlands on Friday at 6:30 a.m. ET.
“It’s awesome. There’s a lot of good teams here, so to make it to the Top 8, that’s a nice achievement, but we’re not satisfied yet,” Colin Higgins, who led the team with 22 points, said. “We know we have a tough opponent tomorrow. Enjoy the moment here, but we’ve got to refocus and reset for tomorrow.”
Higgins, of Rothesay, N.B., also chipped in with six rebounds and four assists.
Canada led throughout the game, building a six-point advantage after one quarter and growing it to 15 points by halftime.
Edmonton’s Patrick Anderson contributed nine points, five rebounds and three assists in the victory, while Regina’s Nik Goncin tallied 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Canada met the Dutch three times at a tournament in Ottawa in May, but managed just one win.
“We know them, they know us — we’re very different teams,” Anderson said. “They have a lot of skill and height. It will be a battle for inches to try to keep them out of the paint and away from the paint and find a way to attack them.”
The Canadian women return to the court Friday at 2 a.m. ET when they wrap group play against China.
The women’s quarterfinals are Saturday, followed by the semifinals Sunday and medal matches on June 20. Live coverage of both tournaments is available on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
The world championships determine the number of spots each zone will receive for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
Canada’s women and men will compete in the Nov. 17-26 Parapan American Games, which serve as the Americas zone qualification tournament for next year’s Summer Games.
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