Team Canada went into the FIBA Americas Championship semifinals on a seven-game winning streak and as a heavy favorite to earn a spot in the 2016 Summer Olympics, but on Friday Venezuela pulled off a stunning upset to put Canada's Olympic dreams on hold. The two teams had met in the first round on September 3, with Canada cruising to a 20-point victory, but the second time around the upstart Venezuelans, who reached the semis despite going just 4-4 in the group stages, played their hearts out and earned the 79-78 win.
It was a disappointing end for a Canadian team that had not failed to score 80 points in any of its first eight games, in which it went 7-1.