Chatham Native and basketball star Bridget Carleton is home from the FIBA Under 19 world Championships in Russia.
The John McGregor product was the highest scoring Canadian wtih 13.9 PPG through the tournament. She also averaged 6 rebounds en route to Canada's 8th place finish at the tourney.
The Canadian squad's brightest moment of the tournament came in a come-from-behind win against Serbia for the first round of the playoffs. With a spot in the top 8 on the line, Carleton led the team to their first lead in the fourth quarter, and never looked back. "A lot of people were nervous, but because I've had international experience the last couple years, we just said 'it's okay, we have this.'"
But after a big loss to the eventual champion US team, there's still work to be done. While Carleton stands 6'1", She's learned that there's always going to be someone bigger and stronger on the court. "I want to work on my finishes at the rim. When you get to the higher levels [of competition], there are taller stronger players. So I think I need to learn how to finish up while taking contact."
It'll be a quick turnaround for Carleton. Later this month she heads out for her first year at Iowa State University.