Team Canada Website

Photo by Mark Campbell

BELGRADE, SERBIA -- Vanessa Kabongo, who was the second leading scorer for the University of Delaware women’s basketball squad this past season, is representing her home country Canada at the World University Games this week.

Kabongo (at right), a 5-10 guard who will be a junior for the Blue Hens this coming season, scored six points and pulled three rebounds in the team’s opening round 85-79 loss to Slovakia Wednesday and added 13 points and two assists in a 90-78 setback to Japan Thursday.

The team will continue action July 3 vs. Australia followed by play Phase 2 play July 5-7, the semifinals July 9, and medal round on July 11.

The World University Games is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The event is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are full-time students at a post-secondary institution or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

Kabongo started all 30 games in the backcourt for Delaware and head coach Tina Martin during the 2008-09 season as the Blue Hens went 15-15. She ranked second on the team with 10.3 points per game and 37 assists and also pulled 4.7 rebounds per game.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Kabongo was a three-year standout at Eastern Commerce High School and led the team to two city titles. She previously played in the USAB Youth Festival, won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2005 Canada Games, and played in the Under 20 FIBA Americas Qualifier in Mexico City last year.