Canada perfect in group stage of 3x3 basketball Women's Series stop in Bordeaux
Reigning champions beat Hungary, France teams to reach Thursday's quarterfinals
Canada won its first two games on Wednesday at the 3x3 basketball Women's Series stop in Bordeaux, France.
The team of Katherine Plouffe, Paige Crozon, Jamie Scott and Kacie Bosch dropped Hungary 21-11 before edging France's U-24 team — featuring Eve Wembanyama, the sister of top NBA pick Victor — 18-16 to win Group A.
Canada, the reigning Women's Series champion, now moves on to Thursday's quarterfinals.
It was a slow start for the Canadians, missing their top player in Michelle Plouffe, on Wednesday. But after falling behind 7-4 against Hungary, Canada kicked things into high gear, outscoring their opponents 17-4 the rest of the way to clinch victory before the final buzzer.
Katherine Plouffe led the way with nine points and eight rebounds, while Crozon added seven points and seven rebounds.
WATCH | Canada beats France to reach quarterfinals:
Later in the day, the Canadians found themselves locked in a tight battle against a feisty French squad for the full 10-minute contest.
A 5-1 run gave Canada a game-high three-point edge with just over one minute remaining, but France's Wembanyama — who stands six-foot-one — nailed a two-pointer as a swift response.
However, Canada managed to hold off the home team to the finish line as Plouffe once again led the team with nine points.
Live coverage of the Bordeaux event continues Thursday at 11:25 a.m. ET with live streaming available on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
WATCH | Canada comes back to beat Hungary:
