Canada cut up a pair of video games in girls’s 3×3 basketball Saturday to realize a spot within the semifinals of an Olympic qualifying match in Utsunomiya, Japan.
The highest-ranked Canadians, who beat Kenya of their opener, started Saturday with a 22-9 drubbing of the Netherlands earlier than dealing with a tricky Australian outfit, which prevailed 21-16 with a powerful closing minute of play.
Canada takes a 2-1 file into Sunday’s semifinal in opposition to Germany (2-1) at 4:20 a.m. ET. Stay streaming of the sport is on the market at CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports activities app and CBC Gem.
Australia and Brazil meet within the different semifinal at 4:45 a.m., with the ultimate scheduled for six:20 a.m. The champion secures a spot within the Olympic match this summer season in Paris.
Ought to Canada not place first in Japan, it could have yet another probability to qualify for the Olympics later this month in Hungary. The highest three finishers in that 16-team occasion will spherical out the eight-team discipline in Paris. Host France, the US, China and Azerbaijan have already certified for the Video games.
In opposition to the Netherlands, Canada exchanged 10 factors with its opponent earlier than Paige Crozon’s two-pointer prolonged the Canadian result in 8-4.
WATCH | Full match replay, Canada vs. Netherlands:
Watch Canada face the Netherlands on the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Event in Utsunomiya, Japan.
The usual three-point line serves because the two-point line in 3-on-3, whereas baskets created from contained in the arc are price one.
Up 9-5, Canada went on a 6-0 run with Katherine Plouffe, twin sister Michelle and Crozon contributing on the scoresheet.
After Noortje Driessen of the Netherlands scored a single level, Michelle Plouffe made good on a two-point try and added a pair of free throws for a 19-6 Canadian benefit.
With Canada main 20-9, Crozon’s two-pointer ended the match with 64 seconds on the clock.
Video games finish when a crew reaches 21 factors or the 10-minute time restrict expires.
Last-minute push
Michelle Plouffe led all gamers with 9 factors and 7 rebounds and was 4-for-4 from the foul line. Crozon added eight factors, two rebounds and related on every of her two-point makes an attempt.
Later Saturday, neither Canada nor Australia held greater than a two-point lead till Australia’s Marena Whittle put her crew forward 18-15 with a free throw with one minute 4 seconds remaining.
Michelle Plouffe delivered her personal free throw however Anneli Maley answered on the foul line with two of her personal.
WATCH | Full match replay, Canada vs. Australia:
Watch Canada play Australia on the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Event in Utsunomiya, Japan.
Trailing 20-16, Canada was assessed a foul and Maley earned her third and closing free throw 9 seconds earlier than the buzzer.
She collected a game-high 9 factors and 7 rebounds. Alex Wilson and Whittle had 5 factors apiece, with the previous posting 4 rebounds and two blocked pictures.
Canada, the two-time defending Girls’s Collection champions, gained this 12 months’s first cease final week in Springfield, Mass., the place they downed the US 20-18 within the closing.
Katherine Plouffe was named match MVP after scoring seven factors in opposition to an American crew that featured Rhyne Howard, the No. 1 total decide within the 2022 WNBA draft and the league’s rookie of the 12 months that season.
WATCH | Canada Basketball president says 3×3 crew will be a part of Olympic second:
Mike Bartlett is the President & CEO of Canada Basketball and has seen this system develop exponentially. He believes the nationwide groups can shock the world in the course of the 2024 Olympics.
