Turkey has improved to 2-0 in women’s basketball at the 2012 London Olympics with a 61-57 win over the Czech Republic. Westmont’s Tugce Canitez saw limited action in the game, playing for just one minute late in the second quarter.

Turkey held a 33-21 lead at halftime and increased its advantage to 37-24 after the intermission. However, the Czechs used a 13-3 run to close to within three points (40-37) with three and one-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. That proved to be is as close as the Czech Republic would get.

The Turkish team regained a ten point advantage (57-47) with ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and withstood another charge from the Czechs to claim the four-point victory.

Westmont’s Tugce Canitez helped the Turkish women’s basketball team to a 72-50 win over Angola in the opening day of competition at the London Olympics. Canitez scored three points and pulled down six rebounds in seventeen minutes of play.

Six teams compete in Group A with four advancing to the knockout round after round-robin play. Turkey’s 22 point margin of victory could prove important in determining their placement in the final Group A standings.

Turkey’s next game will be against the Czech Republic on Monday at 3:15 a.m. (PDT). The Czechs were upset by China 66-57 on Saturday. It the other Group A game, the United States defeated Croatia by a score of 81-56.

An evening run through the beautiful campus of Westmont College and a dinner awaits participants in the Third Annual Westmonster 5K on Thursday, August 16.

The 5K race, which is open to everyone, begins at 6:15 next to the Westmont Track. Race day registration begins at 5:00 p.m. but participants are encouraged to register online at https://secure.westmont.edu/forms/athletics/wm5krun/

Last year 214 runners took part in the event that benefits Westmont College Athletics. The Westmonster 5K is part of the Santa Barbara Athletic Associations Grand Prix Series.

Click here for more information.

Fulfilling a dream come true, Westmont’s Tugce Canitez will compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics while representing her native country of Turkey in women’s basketball.

“I am so excited for Tugce and the opportunity she has to represent her country,” said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. “I can think of no greater honor as an athlete than to represent her country and to do it at the Olympic Games.

“She is a goal oriented and driven person. When we asked her what her goals and dreams were when she came to Westmont, going to the Olympics was part of it. To see her do that is a sign of all the hard work she has put in and of continuing to believe in all that she could do.

Turkey earned a berth into the Olympics by defeating Argentina 72-58 on June 29. Canitez saw eight minutes of play, scoring a single point and pulling down two rebounds. In the three games of the qualifying tournament, Canitez tallied 29 minutes, 11 points and seven rebounds.

“She has played great,” said Moore. “The day that she qualified was the day that I was giving birth, so I didn’t get to watch that game, but I did watch the first two games. Every time she had an opportunity to go in, she helped her team. The announcers were talking about how she was a difference maker when she came into the game. That says a lot about her confidence and her abilities. She is the youngest player on her team by a couple of years, so she has a great future representing her country.”