(St. Catharines, ON)  – The top young female wheelchair basketball athletes in the world showcased their talent, skill and athleticism on day two of the inaugural Women’s U25 World Championships at Brock University in St. Catharines, ON.

Team Canada improved its win-loss record to a perfect 2-0 as it pulled off a 65-52 win over Team Japan (0-2). Paralympian Cindy Ouellet tallied a game-high 25 points for the Canadians, which tied her for third place in overall tournament scoring. Teammate Maude Jacques made her presence known, shooting 8-for-13 (62%) from field goal range for 16 points on the scoreboard.

“I feel it was a really, really good game. We played very well, we had really good defence which brings good offence and we played great as a team,” said Jacques.

In the opening game of the day, the women of Team Great Britain and Team Mexico put on quite a show for the crowd in arguably one of the closest games of the tournament so far. In the end, Great Britain (1-1) left victorious over Mexico (0-2) by a score of 65-51, earning their first win of the tournament.

Watford, UK native Helen Freeman, a member of the British Sr. Women’s National Team and a competitor at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, helped lead her team to success with 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.

Team Germany captured a commanding win against South Africa 43-24 in the second game of the day.  German Sr. Women’s National Team member and 2009 European Championship gold medallist Mareike Adermann took care of business with 15 points and an astounding 20 rebounds. She currently holds the lead for most points (47) and rebounds (41) of the tournament.

During its match against Team Australia (1-1), Team USA (2-0) played a notably physical and aggressive game for a 70-51 victory over its rival opponents. Rebecca Murray earned a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists for the Americans, while Cobi Crispin and Amber Merritt chimed in with 21 and 20 points respectively for the Aussies.

The hard-hitting basketball action continues on Sunday July 17th, as follows:

• Mexico (0-2) and Australia (1-1) tip off at 11:00 EDT
• Germany (2-0) will face Canada (2-0) at 13:15 EDT
• South Africa (0-2) plays Japan (0-2) at 16:45 EDT
• The United-States (2-0) and Great Britain (1-1) will renew rivalries at 19:00 EDT

All of the games will be webcast live on the official event website. For more information, visit www.u25wwbc.com. 

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About the 2011 U25WWBC

The first-ever Women's U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships is a milestone event in the ongoing growth of wheelchair basketball around the globe and forges a legacy of unprecedented opportunity for young women in sport. The tournament features teams from Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and the United States. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation event is co-hosted by Wheelchair Basketball Canada and Brock University.

The tournament is brought to you in part by Sport Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, 49 Bespoke and Visit St. Catharines. Visit www.u25wwbc.com for more information.

About Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of wheelchair basketball in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is the Canadian member to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF).

Wheelchair basketball is a fast paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport that has emerged as one of the most competitive and athletic sports played at the Paralympic Games. Our senior national teams are held in high esteem around the world for the elite skill and control that placed them on the podium with a combined five gold and one silver medal in the last five Paralympic Games. Visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca for more information.

About Brock University

Brock University is located atop the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario’s Niagara peninsula. With 17,000 full-time students and nearly 600 faculty, Brock is buzzing with activity and welcoming visitors to the campus every day.

For more information or to schedule an interview contact:

Courtney Pollock
Communications & Media Relations Assistant
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
T: 289-686-9157 or 613-260-1296 ext. 200
cpollock@wheelchairbasketball.ca

Jody Kingsbury
Communications & Media Relations Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
T: 613-851-2337 or 613-260-1296 ext. 204
jkingsbury@wheelchairbasketball.ca

On the web: u25wwbc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/u25wwbc
Twitter: @WCBballCanada / #u25wwbc
YouTube: youtube.com/WheelchairBball
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/wheelchairbasketball