Former Ute Michelle Plouffe Carries Canada To Overtime, Spain Prevails
Aug 2, 2024, 1:46 PM | Updated: 1:47 pm
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 02: Michelle Plouffe #1 of Team Canada shoots over Gracia Alonso #44 of Team Spain during a Women's 3x3 Basketball Pool Round game between Canada and Spain 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 – The Canada 3×3 Women’s Basketball team lost on a game-winner in overtime for the second time today as they fell to Spain, 22-20.
Two of Canada’s three starters, Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon, and head coach Kim Gaucher played college basketball at the University of Utah.
Plouffe was dynamic against Spain. She scored 11 of Canada’s 20 points and also pulled down six rebounds.
Keep up with the Olympic medal count here.
Not our day, but what a battle
Our #3x3WNT 🍁 plays their final group stage game tomorrow at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/5sAMxdjS3U
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Michelle Plouffe, Team Canada Force OT Against Spain
Katherine and Michelle Plouffe immediately got to work for Canada, combining for three points in the opening minute.
Spain started homing in on the sisters, and after Gracia Alonso made two shots, Canada found its focus as well.
A nearly 90-second scoring drought plagued both teams until Spain got an easy look to tie the score at 3-3.
The Plouffe show continued as Katherine and Michelle each made a basket to go back up by two.
Michelle Plouffe with the strong take to give Canada a two-point lead
🇨🇦 5 🇪🇸 3 | 7:21 streaming on @cbcgem#Paris2024 #3x3WNT pic.twitter.com/7CPxr3c1By
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Spain once again answered with a 4-1 run to take
Canada’s other active Ute got on the board with a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 7-7 through four minutes.
On Canada’s next possession, two offensive rebounds led to an easy layup and a regained lead.
However, Spain seemed comfortable with its back against the wall. They went on another run after getting tested. This time, they scored four unanswered to jump up by three.
Even in 3×3, basketball is a game of runs. The Plouffe sisters drove to the rim on Canada’s next two possessions and closed the lead to one.
Katherine Plouffe drives the lane, and can’t be stopped
🇨🇦 10 🇪🇸 11 | 4:07 streaming on @cbcgem#Paris2024 #3x3WNT pic.twitter.com/P7P917AkOB
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Things started to go downhill for Canada from there.
Over the next two minutes, Spain took advantage of matchups and built a four-point lead.
Down the stretch, Team Canada’s Runnin’ Utes came up huge.
Crozon drilled a three to drop the Spain lead to two and Plouffe followed that up with an easy layup to make it 16-15.
Paige Crozon from DEEP
🇨🇦 14 🇪🇸 16 | 1:54 streaming live on @cbcgem#Paris2024 #3x3WNT pic.twitter.com/emZJmq8NoX
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Spain did all it could to stay out in front but Plouffe scored the last four points for Canada to force overtime.
Unfortunately, just as it happened in Canada’s earlier loss to the U.S., they quickly fell in OT on a two-point shot.
Team Canada will play its final group-stage game at 9:30 a.m. (MST) on Saturday, August 3.
And for the second time today, we’re going to overtime 😫 First to 22 points wins!
🇨🇦 20 🇪🇸 20 streaming live on @cbcgem#Paris2024 #3x3WNT
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 2, 2024
Find KSL Sports coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics here.
Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @CHoltSports or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
