Canada Defeats Dominican Republic, Stay Unbeaten in FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers

Summary:

• Canada secured an 88-71 victory over the Dominican Republic in the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 qualifiers.
• The Canadians maintained a perfect 3-0 record with help from leading scorer Mfiondu Kabengele. 
• The team honored the late Chad Posthumus with black patches, playing in his memory throughout the match.

Canada kicked off the second window of the FIBA men’s AmeriCup 2025 qualifiers with a strong 88-71 victory over the Dominican Republic on Thursday at SaskTel Centre.

Despite limited practice time and a mix of veterans and newcomers, Canada has remained unbeaten with a 3-0 record in the qualifiers.

17 Points from Kabengele

Leading the way for Canada was Burlington-native Mfiondu Kabengele (27), who put up 17 points and added two blocks. 

Torontonian Trae Bell-Haynes (29) contributed eight points, grabbed four rebounds, and handed out a game-high ten assists. Head coach Nathaniel Mitchell commented,

I thought it was seamless, the young guys that came in, and I think that’s a testament to how we’re building our federation 

He further mentioned the inclusion of three players from Canada’s 2017 U19 gold medal squad who are now stepping up to the senior team.

At the start of the month, when he was named head coach for the current qualifiers, Mitchell called it “an honour to return to the Canadian bench” and lead the Senior Men’s National Team. 

LJ Figueroa’s 18 Points, Not Enough

Lawrence, Massachusetts-born LJ Figueroa (26) scored 18 points for the Dominican Republic. 

However, his performance couldn’t change the course of the game which eventually led to his team’s loss.

Canada started to take control in the second quarter, going up by 11 points after Toronto native Jackson Rowe hit back-to-back threes. 

The 27-year-old then made a big defensive play with a block, putting the hosts ahead 39-24.

Rowe opened the final quarter with another three-pointer, followed by a powerful dunk from Vancouver-born Fardaws Aimaq (25), extending Canada’s lead to 72-47. 

The Dominican Republic couldn’t get within ten points for the remainder of the game.

Canada Honoured Chad Posthumus

The Canadian team wore black patches with the initials “CP” in honor of Chad Posthumus, a 3×3 and senior men’s national team player who passed away earlier this week at age 33.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears, a team in the CEBL, shared that Posthumus, their captain, had suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session on November 9 in Winnipeg. 

He faced severe complications following surgery, remaining in critical condition until his passing.

“He’s a member of the family,” said Bell-Haynes. Bears commented,

We play for him… Canada Basketball is a brotherhood, and when you look at the last quad… Chad was a big part of that, and we’re going to miss him. The gesture was a great touch.

The next challenge for Canada is to keep their streak going against Mexico this Sunday. Find out what the odds are for a possible 4-in-a-row win? Choose from a selected sportsbooks dedicated to Canadians.