Tristan Etienne, a recent grad of Abbotsford’s W.J. Mouat Secondary, helped Canada’s under-18 men’s basketball team to a silver medal at the FIBA Americas tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Team Canada went a perfect 3-0 during pool play with wins over the Domincan Republic, Puerto Rico and Brazil, thus securing a berth to next year’s FIBA U19 World Championship in Greece.
In the semifinals, they knocked off Argentina 91-82 in overtime to set up a title-game clash with a U.S.A. squad helmed by University of Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan. The Americans prevailed 113-79, but the runner-up result nevertheless represented Canada’s best-ever finish at the tournament.
Etienne, a 6’9” centre who is set to join the NCAA’s University of Washington Huskies in the fall, averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game at the FIBA Americas.