Former Utes, Team Canada Lose Heartbreaker To USA In 3×3 Basketball
Aug 2, 2024, 11:23 AM
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 02: Michelle Plouffe #1 of Team Canada and Hailey van Lith #9 of Team United States battle for a rebound during a Women's 3x3 Basketball Pool Round game between the United States and Canada on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Esplanade Des Invalides on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
PARIS – Canada’s 3×3 Women’s Basketball team went into overtime with Team USA and lost on a game-winning two-pointer from Rhyne Howard.
Two of Canada’s three starters, Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon, and head coach Kim Gaucher played college basketball at the University of Utah.
It was Plouffe’s sister, Katherine, who carried the load for Canada. She scored 10 of the team’s 17 points in the one-point loss.
Keep up with the Olympic medal count here.
Canada falls to USA in overtime.
The 3×3 Women’s National Team is back in action later today, as they take on Spain – 4:00 pm ET / 1:00 pm PT on CBC Gem 📺#Paris2024 #3x3WNT pic.twitter.com/xenSmOXFJn
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Team Canada Picks Up Second Loss In Pool Play
The game between North American rivals was back and forth from the jump.
The U.S. struck first on the opening possession and Michelle Plouffe put Canada on the board about a minute in.
After both sides made a preventable turnover, Team Canada took their first lead off of a Crozon free throw. Another U.S. turnover led to a Crozon two-point shot to give Canada a 4-1 lead through two minutes.
Team USA cleaned it up and went on a run as Canada threatened to blow the game open. Three different players found the bottom of the net as the U.S. scored five unanswered.
Katherine Plouffe evened the score at 6-6 with a damage-control two-pointer.
KAT PLOUFFE FROM DEEP
Her make from long-range ties it up – tune in now on CBC Gem 📺
🇨🇦 6 🇺🇸 6 | 6:27#Paris2024 #3x3WNT
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
The U.S. and Canada went back to trading shots after both sides went on their runs. Just as the midway point of the match passed, the score was tied at 8-8.
The next three times that one side took a lead, the other immediately responded.
Much of Canada’s offense went through Katherine Plouffe on the inside. Whether it was backdoor cuts or post-ups, Plouffe got more or less what she wanted against Team USA.
With three minutes left, the score was 11-11 and Katherine had six of Canada’s points.
Kacie Bosch to Katherine Plouffe. Canada ties it up.
🇨🇦 11 🇺🇸 11 | 3:04#Paris2024 #3x3WNT
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Michelle Plouffe hit a huge two-point shot with about two minutes left to give Canada its first lead bigger than a point since the opening minutes.
She then assisted on her sister’s 8th point to put Canada up by three.
They held that lead into the final minute until two quick USA buckets evened the score at 16-16 with 20 seconds left.
Both Canada and the U.S. locked up in the closing moments to force overtime.
In OT, Howard nailed a two-pointer to steal a win for Team USA.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @CHoltSports or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
