Canada collected its first two games on Wednesday at the 3×3 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 conquest 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 versus Hungary, Canada kicked things into high gear, outscoring their adversaries 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.
Later in the day, the Canadians found themselves locked in a tight battle versus 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.