Lithuania Advances to 2nd Round of 2019 FIBA World Cup After Win vs. Canada

Lithuania advanced to the second round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup with a 92-69 win over Canada at Dongguan Basketball Center in Dongguan, China, on Tuesday.

The victory moved Lithuania to 2-0, while Canada fell to 0-2 and was eliminated from the tournament, as Australia is also 2-0 in Group H.

With a formidable front line that included Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas and Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis, Lithuania out-rebounded Canada by a 46-27 margin. Lithuanian Basketball League forward Edgaras Ulanovas was the top performer for the winning side, though, with 13 points and five rebounds.

Six players scored in double figures for Lithuania, and both Valanciunas and Sabonis were among them with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Like Lithuania, Canada had a pair of NBA players who saw action in Orlando Magic center Khem Birch and Sacramento Kings guard Cory Joseph. Former Gonzaga star and current Turkish league forward Kyle Wiltjer was Canada's leading scorer with 24 points.

Joseph added 15 points and four rebounds, while Birch contributed 12 points and four boards.

In addition to dominating on the boards, Lithuania was far more efficient offensively, as it shot 51 percent from the field to Canada's 41 percent.

Lithuania staked claim to an early lead, as it led 24-14 after the opening quarter of play. The biggest highlight of the first quarter belonged to Canada's Birch, but there wasn't much else for Canadian fans to cheer for:

The second quarter was far more evenly matched with both teams scoring 22 points, but it left Canada with a steep hill to climb in the second half.

TSN's Josh Lewenberg noted that a lack of secondary scoring behind Wiltjer and Birch was Canada's Achilles' heel in the first half:

Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star suggested that the schedule wasn't particularly kind to Canada with back-to-back games against Australia and Lithuania, who are two of the top World Cup contenders beyond the United States:

One thing both teams struggled with throughout the game was getting into a rhythm due to how closely it was officiated. Overall, Lithuania and Canada combined to commit 52 personal fouls.

J.E. Skeets, formerly of NBA TV, expressed his belief that the referees didn't allow the players enough freedom during the contest:

Things continued to go Lithuania's way in the third quarter, and by the time the final frame rolled around, the Lithuanians led by a 70-54 margin.

With time running out for the Canadians and most of the team struggling from the field aside from Wiltjer and Birch, Lithuania put it away in the fourth and walked away with a 23-point victory.

Both Lithuania and Canada will close out their preliminary round slate Thursday. Lithuania will face Australia to determine the Group H winner, while Canada and Senegal will play only for pride since both teams are 0-2 and eliminated from contention.