Canada falls in semis of FIBA 3×3 Basketball Women’s Series Final

There will be no three-peat for Canada at the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series.

The two-time defending champions lost a hard-fought semifinal 21-19 to the Netherlands on Sunday at Women’s Series Final tournament in Hangzhou, China.

Paige Crozon, Cassandra Brown, and twin sisters Michelle and Katherine Plouffe never held a lead in the match, trailing at times by as much as five points.

With 48.6 seconds remaining in the game, the Dutch held a 20-16 lead and needed only a single basket to win the game. A late flurry from Canada drew them within a two-pointer of victory before the Netherlands’ Noortje Driessen converted on a foul shot to win the game.

The Dutch will play France in the final later Sunday. The French team beat the Chinese U24 team 18-6 in the quarterfinals and Italy 15-11 in the other semifinal match at Hangzhou Xiaoshan Cultural Square.

The Canadians beat the Chinese U23 team 21-11 in the quarterfinals earlier Sunday, and had chalked up a 2-1 record in pool play on Saturday.