Final: Kentucky basketball 89, Canada 72 in GLOBL JAM 2023 gold medal game

John Clay
·6 min read
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After a 104-92 win over Africa on Saturday, the Kentucky Wildcats take on Canada in the gold medal game of GLOBL JAM 2023 on Sunday at 8 p.m. in Toronto.

Kentucky whipped Canada 93-69 on Thursday in the second game of the round-robin event. Canada reached the gold medal game by beating Germany 84-81 in overtime on Saturday night. UK is 3-0 in the tournament. Canada is 2-1.

BAL Select from Africa lost 88-62 to Canada on Wednesday night, then 88-79 to Germany on Thursday. Kentucky defeated Germany 81-73 in the tournament opener Wednesday.

CBS Sports Network will televise Sunday’s UK-Canada rematch.

Check here for updates. Follow UK basketball beat writer Ben Roberts on Twitter at @BenRobertsHL. Follow me on Twitter at @johnclayiv.

Click here for a UK basketball Twitter list.

Box score from the first Kentucky-Canada game on Thursday.

Final: Kentucky 89, Canada 72

Kentucky-Canada Box score

Links

▪ Three takeaways from Kentucky’s win in gold medal game

▪ Justin Edwards leads the way as Cats sweep Canada

▪ What did we learn about these Wildcats?

▪ Box score from UK’s 89-72 victory over Canada

▪ GLOBL JAM box score from gold medal game

▪ Kentucky basketball cumulative stats from Canada

▪ Kentucky basketball individual game-by-game stats

Kentucky defeats Canada to win gold medal

Justin Edwards scored 23 points, Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves each added 18 as Kentucky handled Canada 89-72 to win the gold medal game of GLOBL JAM 2023.

Reeves was named MVP after scoring 92 points in the tournament.

Edwards hit 10 of 20 shots. Mitchell posted a double-double with his 18 points and 10 rebounds. And DJ Wagner scored 13 points for Kentucky, who went 4-0 in the tournament.

UK shot 50 percent from the floor, hitting 37 of 74 shots. The Cats were 10-of-25 from three-point range. Reeves was 4-of-8 from three. Edwards was 2-of-6. Mitchell was 2-of-4.

The Cats were credited with 26 assists on their 37 made baskets.

Wagner led the way with six assists.

Canada was 29-of-68 from the floor for 42.6 percent. The Canadians made four of 17 three-point shots.

Addi Patterson led Canada with 20 points before fouling out.

Kentucky stretches lead to 72-53 after three quarters

West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell had a big third quarter as Kentucky outscored Canada 27-14 in the third quarter for a 72-53 lead heading into the final period.

Mitchell finished the third with 18 points and nine rebounds on the game. It was his basket from the left corner that put UK up 56-47 with 6:02 left in the third quarter. Then Mitchell’s jumper from the circle started the Cats on a 16-4 run to close out the quarter.

Rob Dillingham hit a pair of three-pointers inside the final minute of the quarter to aid the Cats’ cause.

UK’s Justin Edwards leads all scorers with 21 points.

Kentucky leads Canada 45-39 at halftime

Up 11 at the end of the first quarter, Kentucky saw its lead cut to six at 45-39 by Canada at halftime.

Led by Addi Patterson’s 18 points, the Canadians were 10-of-20 from the floor in the second quarter. The Canadians also have a 22-16 edge on the boards over a Kentucky team that is without big men Ugonna Onyenso (ankle injury) and Aaron Bradshaw (foot surgery).

Kentucky is led by Justin Edwards with 17 points. Tre Mitchell has 10 points and Antonio Reeves has nine. UK did have 14 assists on its 18 made baskets in the first half.

Canada committed nine first-half turnovers, but Kentucky committed eight.

Canada was just 1-of-7 from three-point land. UK was 5-of-13.

Kentucky leads Canada 25-14 at the end of the first quarter

Opening hot from three-point range, Kentucky took a 25-14 lead over Canada after one period in the gold medal game.

UK made three of its first four three-point shots. Tre Mitchell buried a couple of threes and Justin Edwards hit a three in the first 4:05 of the game.

Justin Edwards scored 10 points and Tre Mitchell added eight for the Cats, who hit 10 of 17 shots for 58 percent in the first quarter. Canada made just 5 of its 14 shots for 35 percent.

Up 13-9, the Cats went on a 12-2 run for a 25-11 lead and a Canadian timeout with 1:22 left in the quarter.

Kentucky’s starters for gold medal game

Kentucky’s starters for this second game against Canada:

▪ 21-D.J. Wagner, 14.3 points per game

▪ 12-Antonio Reeves, 24.7 points per game

▪ 1-Justin Edwards, 11.7 points per game

▪ 3-Adou Thiero, 9.0 points per game

▪ 4-Tre Mitchell, 13.3 points per game

Antonio Reeves has been the scoring star of Toronto trip

There was a time when it appeared Antonio Reeves might not play his fifth year of college basketball at Kentucky. Luckily for the Cats, Reeves decided to return for his second season as a Wildcat. And if this Canada trip is any indication, it could be a stellar season.

Through three games, the Chicago native has scored 74 points, an average of 24.7 points per game. He has made 27 of 45 shots for 60 percent, including 14 of 24 three-point shots for 58.3 percent. Reeves scored 24 points in UK’s opening win over Germany, 23 in the romp over Canada and 27 in Saturday’s shootout against Africa.

Our Ben Roberts wrote about the factors behind Reeves’ return.

Kentucky coach John Calipari talks to his team during a timeout on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at GLOBL JAM 2023 in Toronto. Kentucky defeated BAL Africa 104-92 to 3-0 in the round-robin event. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics
Kentucky coach John Calipari talks to his team during a timeout on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at GLOBL JAM 2023 in Toronto. Kentucky defeated BAL Africa 104-92 to 3-0 in the round-robin event. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

Where to watch, how to follow Sunday’s Kentucky game vs. Canada for GLOBL JAM gold

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win over Africa in GLOBL JAM 2023

Box score from Kentucky basketball’s victory over Africa in 2023 GLOBL JAM

A new Adou for Kentucky basketball? Bulked-up Thiero ready for a bigger role in year two.