Canada’s women’s U19 basketball team falls to Australia in World Cup semis

Canada’s bid for a first-ever championship game appearance at the women’s U19 basketball World Cup has fallen just short.

The Canadians lost 87-75 against Australia in the semifinals of the tournament on Saturday in Brno, Czechia.

Still, Canada could claim its third bronze medal of all time on Sunday, when it will face the loser of the second semifinal between the U.S. and Spain.

The winner of that game will meet the Aussies in the final.

Canada’s Jasmine Bascoe led all scorers with 29 points in the loss, nailing four three-pointers and adding nine assists to boot.

Bascoe, the 19-year-old from Milton, Ont., will begin her sophomore season at Villanova in the fall.

Avery Howell, who was born in Boise, Idaho, but represents Canada due to her B.C.-born mother, contributed 20 points and five assists. However, no other Canadian reached double digits in scoring.

Australia enjoyed more balanced scoring as Zara Russell, Monique Bobongie and Sitaya Fagan each poured in a team-high 14 points.

Canada previously won bronze at the World Cup in 2023 and 2017.