The British Wheelchair Men’s basketball team may have lost to Canada 69-52 in the semi-finals but they still have the opportunity for a bronze medal as they await USA on Saturday night.

 

A poor third quarter on Thursday night gave Canada a 20-point lead heading into the fourth and despite GB winning that final period, the damage had been done.

 

Ade Orogbemi led GB on a perfect shooting night (5/5 FG, 4/4 FT) in a 14 point outing supported by Terry Bywater’s 12 points and Ian Sagar’s 10. Patrick Anderson was in usual form for Canada with 17 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds.

 

GB tip off against the USA at 7pm on Saturday at the North Greenwich Arena followed by the Gold Medal game between Canada and Australia.

 

British Women finish 7th

 

Great Britain’s Women finished 7th at the 2012 Paralympic Games after a 72-55 loss to China on Thursday followed by an early 59-37 win over Mexico first thing Friday.

 

China kept building a bigger and bigger lead on Thursday against GB and led by Haizen Cheng’s 19 point, 14 rebound, 7 assist outing, they cruised to the win. GB’s top scorer was Helen Freeman with 22 points.

 

Tipping off at 8:30am in front of a supportive crowd 5,000 strong, the British women defeated Mexico handily to take seventh place.

 

Helen Freeman again led GB with a near-triple-double (16 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) in a game her side started slowly, but took over in the second half.

 

Amy Conroy was the game’s top scorer with 22 British points while Mexico were led by Floralia Estrada Bernal’s 9 points.