Bridget Carleton poured in 27 points to lead Canada's women's basketball team to an 88-65 over Mali at the FIBA World Cup on Tuesday.
The victory guaranteed a crucial top-two finish in Group B for the Canadians, who will avoid both the United States (5-0) and China (4-1) in Thursday's quarter-finals in Sydney, Australia.
Instead, they will face Puerto Rico, which beat South Korea 92-73 to reach the quarters for the first time. Kayla Alexander had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the No.
4 Canadians (4-1), in their final game of the preliminary round. Kia Nurse and Aislinn Konig added 11 points apiece. Carleton, a forward for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, also grabbed eight rebounds. "I love to see the confidence that everyone else now gets to see [in] Bridget Carleton," said Canadian captain Natalie Achonwa, who also plays for the Lynx. "She's always been explosive.