Brazil Rides Fourth-Quarter Surge Past Canada, Into 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women Gold Medal Game

June 26, 2010 - Colorado Springs, Colo.

Trailing for all but the last 30 seconds of the game, Brazil (3-1) outscored Canada (3-1) 22-9 in the final period to erase a 12-point deficit and capture a 60-59 win in the medal semifinals of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women on June 26 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Brazil advances to the gold medal game at 5:45 p.m. (all times MDT) on June 27, where it will face the winner of the USA (3-0) versus Chile (2-1). Canada will face the loser of USA and Chile in Sunday's bronze medal game at 3:30 p.m.

'Always, we trusted in the victory,' said Brazil head coach Luis Claudio Tarallo. 'We were losing, but we are very strong, and we picked up our defense and always thought we could win the game.

'We will watch the USA-Chile game, and I will tell the girls that it is an honor to be in the finals,' Tarallo continued. 'It's a great moment for our team. We will fight for the gold medal.'

Trailing by 11 points, 42-31, with 8:09 remaining in the game, Brazil's Aruzha Lima sparked her team and changed the game's momentum. Following a made free throw from her teammate Carina Martins, Lima reeled off eight points in two minutes, pulling Brazil to within four, 44-40, with a 3-pointer at 4:50.

'I think that was the point that we got back in the game,' Tarallo said. 'The Canada coach asked for two timeouts during that time, and we said to the girls, 'It's our moment. Keep up the hard work. We can do it.' '

After five more unanswered points, a 3-pointer from Martins gave Brazil its first lead, 48-46, with just 30 seconds on the clock. Canada committed 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter, including four in the last three minutes, and was forced to foul. Brazil sank 2-of-4 attempts as the clock ticked down to take a 50-46 lead.

Canada's Katherine Plouffe connected from deep with 1.4 seconds on the clock to pull within one, 50-49, but Brazil successfully inbounded the ball and time expired on Canada's gold-medal hopes.

Brazil was led by 15 points apiece from Lima and Martins, and Damiris Amaral grabbed 15 rebounds.

Katherine and Michelle Plouffe both scored 12 points for Canada.