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Playing its third game in as many days, the USA (2-1) shooting was off the mark and Canada (1-1) took full advantage rolling to a 92-76 victory Friday afternoon in FIBA Americas Men's World Championship Qualifying Tournament action in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. USA guard Lynn Greer (Dynamo Moscow-Russia/Temple ‘02) finished as the American's leading scorer with 21 points.

The United States concludes its preliminary play Saturday against 1-1 Venezuela (4:30 p.m. ET), who was off Friday. The 10-team tournament, which is being held Aug. 24-Sept 4, will qualify the top four finishing teams (in addition to Argentina who has already qualified by virtue of winning the 2004 Olympics) for the 2006 FIBA World Championship that is being held in Japan (Aug.19-Sept. 3, 2006).

"We got beat by a team that a great game, they had a great day. It had nothing to do with anything but how good they played. It wasn't how bad they played, it was how good they played," said USA head coach Mo McHone. "We extended a lot of energy yesterday, a lot of emotion in the Brazil game and so to come out flat and play the way we did is not surprising. But we've got to get our focus back tomorrow and if we come back and play tomorrow like I know we can play then we can get this thing back on the right track. I give all the credit to Canada today, they just played great.

"I really believed that no team in this tournament was going to go undefeated. It just shows you how balanced the whole tournament is. The bad news is we have to play Venezuela who beat the heck out of these guys (Canada) yesterday. We'll have to be ready," added McHone.

The USA, which in its first two games of the tournament shot a combined 51.5 percent from the field overall and 51.1 percent from 3-point, while holding opponents to 38.8 percent shooting, couldn't buy a basket and was unable to stop Canada.

"Canada came out with a lot of energy and we never matched that intensity in the game. We fell behind in the first half and never recovered," offer USA forward Aaron McGhee.

Canada got off to a fast start and behind a pair of 3-pointers from Carl English moved out to a 13-5 lead. Things only got worse for the U.S. and Canada finished the opening quarter with a Deham Brown 3-pointer at the buzzer to up its advantage to 26-13. The U.S. made just four field goals in the first period and shot an icy 26.7 percent (4-15 FGs), while Canada hit on 64.7 percent (11-17 FGs) of its shots.

After seeing Canada score the first six points of the second quarter to expand its advantage to 32-13, the U.S. mounted a 10-2 run that was capped by Tang Hamilton's (Fayetteville-NBA Development League/ Mississippi State ‘01) put back off an offensive rebound during which he also drew the foul and after making the free throw the U.S. trailed 34-23 with 5:21 remaining until halftime.

That was as close as the U.S. would get. The USA shooting woes continued and Canada finished the half by outscoring the U.S. 17-5 to claim a 49-28 lead at the half.

Canada in the first half shot 59.4 percent (19-32 FGs) while the U.S. finished the first 20 minutes shooting an abysmal 31.0 percent (9-29 FGs).

The second half didn't go much better for the Americans. Canada opening the third quarter by outscoring the U.S. 8-2 to expand its advantage to 57-30 and after three quarters the score was 70-48.

Greer's 21 points led the U.S. effort, Alex Scales (Samsung-Korea/ Oregon ‘99) tallied 11 points, McGhee finished with 10 points and a team best seven rebounds, and Marque Perry (Olympicos-Greece/Saint Louis ‘02) scored eight off the bench.

Canada's Brown led all scorers with 28 points and he added nine rebounds, while Mendez posted a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds.

2005 FIBA Americas World Championship Qualifier

McHone is head coach of the USA contingent, assist him are former NBA great Dennis "DJ" Johnson, who was named recently head coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League after spending 2004-05 as head mentor of the NBA Development League Florida Flame squad, and Joey Meyer, who was recently named head coach of the NBA Development League Tulsa 66ers after leading the D-League Asheville Altitude to league championships in 2004 and 2005.

In FIBA Americas Olympic or World Championship qualifying events held since 1989. USA Basketball men's teams are 48-5 and have won gold in five of the six Tournament of the Americas it has sent teams to.