Two Former Utes Lead Canada’s 3×3 WBB Team To Big Win Over France
Aug 1, 2024, 2:35 PM
PARIS – Canada’s 3×3 Women’s Basketball team bounced back from their early morning loss with a convincing 13-9 victory over France.
Two of Canada’s three starters, Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon, and head coach Kim Gaucher played college basketball at the University of Utah.
Crozon struggled from the field but came up big in the final minutes and finished with four points. Plouffe had a great all-around game, posting three points, five rebounds, and two assists.
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🇨🇦 Canada grind out the DUB against home side France! 💪#3x3Basketball #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/LcbUKy5nhr
— 3×3 Basketball |FIBA3x3 (@FIBA3x3) August 1, 2024
Team Canada 3×3 Holds On To Beat France
After starting slow in the earlier loss to Germany, Canada came out aggressively to avoid falling into an early deficit.
Katherine Plouffe and Michelle Plouffe ran an excellent two-man game in the opening minutes. The former Ute made a free throw and her sister added four points as Team Canada jumped out to a 5-0 lead.
France came back with back-to-back buckets from Laetitia Guapo to drop the lead to three. Michelle Plouffe quieted the France crowd shortly after with an and-one. Her free throw rolled off the rim, leaving the score at 6-2.
THE PLOUFFE’S ARE GOING TO WORK 💪
Michelle Plouffe’s and-one extends the Canadian lead – tune in LIVE on CBC Gem 📺
🇨🇦 6 🇫🇷 2 | 5:57#Paris2024 #3x3WNT
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 1, 2024
Once again, France chipped away at the lead with a quick 2-0 run.
Crozon got on the board just after the midway point of the match off a dish from her fellow Utah alum. From there, the defensive intensity picked up.
France fought hard to make a comeback while Canada did everything it could to stay out in front. Neither team could find the bottom of the net for over 90 seconds before France’s Hortense Limouzin broke the drought with an easy layup.
Leading by just two, Team Canada needed points and Michelle Plouffe gave them just that off a pass from her sister.
With two minutes left, France closed the lead down to two once again. A sloppy turnover from Canada looked like it could be devastating but France’s Marie Eve Paget returned the favor.
Kacie Bosch scored the next two points for Canada as they took a 10-6 lead with a minute left.
KACIE BOSCH WITH THE CIRCUS SHOT
The Lethbridge, Alta. product helps Canada take a three-point lead. LIVE now on CBC Gem 📺
🇨🇦 9 🇫🇷 6 | 1:29#Paris2024 #3x3WNT
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 1, 2024
Limouzin gave France some much-needed hope with a late basket but Crozon dashed that hope with a huge two-pointer with 30 seconds on the clock. Crozon came up big one more time, blocking a France two-point attempt to seal the deal.
A buzzer-beating two-pointer from France did nothing but make the scoreline look a bit better as Team Canada picked up its third win in pool play, 13-9.
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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.
