Olynyk, Canada back on track

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Kelly Olynyk and his Team Canada teammates got back on track today at the FIBA U-19 world basketball championship in Auckland, New Zealand.
Still stinging from an 88-77 opening-round loss to Australia, Team Canada took out at least some of its frustrations by hammering on Syria to the tune of 99-53.
Olynyk, a graduate of South Kamloops Secondary, scored 10 points — he was one of five Canadians in double figures — in 21 minutes 32 seconds of playing time. Head coach Greg Francis got all 12 of his players into the game, so no one played more than Tristan Thompson (23:38).
Olynyk also hauled down eight rebounds, as Canada outrebounded the Syrians, 53-27.
Canada, in a pool with Australia, Syria and Spain, next plays Saturday against Spain. That game is to start at 5 p.m., which, due to a 19-hour time difference, is tonight, 10 o’clock, in Kamloops.
As for the game against Australia, which finished late Wednesday night Kamloops time, Olynyk, one of Canada’s co-captains, wrote The Daily News: “It was a tough game and we struggled at the start, going down 15-2.”
“We fought back but could never really get over that hump,” he continued. “They were on fire in the first quarter and for a majority of the game played really well.”
Australia, which led 24-18 after one 10-minute quarter, outscored Canada in the paint, 52-38.
“We didn’t play the way we had hoped and know we can play better,” Olynyk wrote.
Olynyk knows that he, too, can play better. He spent most of the first half on the bench after picking up two fouls early and getting hit with a third one just nine seconds after Francis put him back on the floor late in the first half.
“(That) made it hard, because I was on the bench for pretty much the whole first half,” he explained. “I got back into it in the second half and finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds.
“We are going to need a win (over Syria) if we want to stay in contention to get through the preliminaries. I think we will come out really strong today and make up for lost ground.”
Which is exactly what happened.
This is a 16-team tournament, with three teams from each four-team pool advancing to the second round. Chances are that Australia, Canada and Spain will move on from Group C.
Away from the court, Olynyk and fellow co-captain Ty Nurse of Vancouver represented Canada at the pretournament press conference.
“It was for all the teams and media,” noted Olynyk, “and included interviews with various paper and television reporters.”
Olynyk, who has committed to attend Gonzaga U in Spokane in the fall, has had ample media attention over here, so certainly wasn’t out of his element.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com