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Canada’s journey to qualifying for the 2027 Men’s FIBA World Cup has been a strong start.
The red and white defeated the hosts Bahamas 111-75 in the first game of group play in the USA Qualifiers bracket on Friday.
Kyle Wiltjer led the scoring with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play. All five of Canada’s starters finished in double figures for scoring, with Charles Badiako chipping in 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two blocks.
Meanwhile, Jahon Henry-Blair wreaked havoc off the bench as he scored 16 points with a game-high four made threes at a 57 percent clip.
It was a wire-to-wire win for the Canadians as they dominated virtually every facet of the game, outscoring the Bahamas from every area of the floor, especially beyond the arc. Canada went 16-of-32 (50 percent), while the Bahamas went 9-of-29.
Dominic Bridgewater and former NBAer Kai Jones led the losing squad with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Canada is now 1-0 and leads Group B, which includes Jamaica (1-0), Puerto Rico (0-1) and the Bahamas (0-1).
Canada and the Bahamas meet again on Monday at the Mitami Athletic Center in Toronto.
The 16 teams are divided into four groups for the first round of US qualifiers, with the top 12 teams (top three from each group) advancing to the second round of qualifying action. The round takes place over three windows from November 1, 2025 to July 2026.
The top 12 teams will then compete to decide the 7 American teams that will ultimately qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar as part of a 32-team pool spanning four regions (Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe).
Canada’s last appearance at the FIBA Men’s World Cup was its best ever, edging out the United States to capture the country’s first bronze medal at the tournament in 2023.
