Canadabasketball.ca – Canada 86 China 62
RAUTINS SCORES 19 AS CANADA ROUTS CHINA
Last Updated: August 12, 2010
VANCOUVER – The Canadian Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) dominated the Chinese national team as they opened the Jack Donohue International Classic on Tuesday with a 86-62 win at Rogers Arena.
New York Knicks guard Andy Rautins (Syracuse, N.Y.) put on a shooting display for Canadian basketball fans. He scored 19 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting from the floor.
“It felt really good, they way we did it, just playing together,” said Joel Anthony (Montreal), starting centre of the Miami Heat. “Defensively we played really well in terms of doing things we wanted to do by taking them out of their sets and being really aggressive and helping each other.
“Offensively, we were able to get some great looks. We weren’t rushing things.”
Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto), who spent last season with the Halifax Rainmen in the Premier Basketball League, came off the bench to score 16 points. Anthony added eight points and pulled down a game high eight rebounds.
“We go deep,” said SMNT Head Coach Leo Rautins. “We will continue to go deep to make sure people stay fresh.
“Everybody that I call on, there is a lot of trust. I’m not afraid to put different guys in at different times. The depth is a positive factor for us.”
Canada led 41-16 going into halftime and dominated the glass as they outrebounded China by 19.
“Canada took it to us tonight,” said Robert Donewald Jr., head coach of the Chinese National Team. “We were like deer in headlights in the first half.”
China made a run in the second half, outscoring the Canadians 46-45.
“Our guys fell asleep in the first half,” said forward Yi Jianlian, who was traded to the Washington Wizards this summer. “In the second half we tried to pick it up.”
“We played pretty good in the second half. We needed to play the whole game like that.”
Veteran guard Liu Wei, who keyed China’s run in the third, led China with 19 points. Yi finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
The SMNT concludes their domestic exhibition series with back-to-back matches against France on Thursday and Friday at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. local time and game summaries will be posted on