3x3 Quebec Challenger 2024 - Day One Full Report

Teams from across the USA and Europe descended on Canada's biggest province for the first Canadian tournament of the 2024 3x3 World Tour. Some of the best 3x3 talent out there were on show in the Quebec Challenger, with spots in the Debrecen Masters at the end of August up for grabs.

In addition to the World Tour mainstays competing in Quebec, five Canadian teams - Hosts Quebec, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saint Hubert and Griffintown - would also be competing, all of whom would have to go through the qualifying draw first of all.

Toronto opened the tournament with Adam Page scorching Saint Hubert early on, the Quebecious team limited to just seven points in the opening contest. Fellow Quebecers Griffintown suffered an equally heavy defeat at the hands of Uberlandia, the only non-Canadian team in qualifying, in a mixed start for home interests.

Saint Hubert's last chance of making the pool stage meant having to see off hosts Quebec, and stayed within reaching distance of them until an 8-1 run from Quebec late on put the lead out of reach. Alex Leclerc scored half of their points in a blowout win which sent Saint Hubert packing.

Afterwards Winnipeg overwhelmed Griffintown from the outset of their match-up, their lead growing higher and higher until they reached the 21-point mark with three minutes to spare. It was then down to tem and Uberlandia for a place in the pool stage.

The Brazilians went into an early four-point lead and their fast-paced style left Winnipeg floundering and down by nine after four minutes. Jonatas Mello and Leonardo Branquinho kept finding looks in the paint and Uberlandia prevented any easy chances at basket for the Canadians.

The final pool stage spot would be a contest between Toronto and Quebec, who had an early lead behind Leclerc, but Toronto started to build from close range. A one-point lead changed hands three times, after which Alex Johnson put Toronto in front (He later led the game with eight points). Toronto then went on a six-point lead to end the game and book their place in Pool C.

In the tournament proper, Toronto first faced Lausanne and the Swiss team fell behind early on following two two-pointers from Alex Johnson. Toronto tried to reinforce their lead from the field but an 8-1 run from Lausanne at the mid-section of the game turned proceedings on their head. Behind lockout defence from Westher Molteni and six more points without reply, Lausanne ended the game with three minutes to spare.

A win over Dusseldorf was now needed in order to progress. After a close start Toronto's two-point shooting put them in the lead and they stayed in front for the first half of the game. The German team kept up the pressure in the low post with Kevin Bryant then putting Dusseldorf in front.

Michael Kelvin tried to put Toronto back in front but Dusseldorf overwhelmed them from close range and bulldozed their way to victory, ending chances of a Canadian victory in Quebec.

Crowds in Quebec still had a lot of really exciting basketball to see outside of home interest. Miami survived a close call with Latvian team Adazi, then blew out Podgorica later in the day; the team with one of the biggest names in Quebec, Jimmer Fredette, secured their place on day two.

Confident, high-percentage play from Podgorica against Adazi confirmed they would be moving on to day two with a 22-15 win. Over in Pool B, Raundondvaris started in Quebec with an 18-14 win over Calabasas, then found themselves in a nail-biter with Utrecht.

Raundondvaris had an early four-point lead, which Utrecht then turned around, only a point standing between the teams down the final stretch, the last coming from Norbert Thelissen, the game-winner for Utrecht. The Dutch team then dispatched Calabasas to finish first in Pool B.

The biggest surprises of the day came early and often in Pool D, which began with Uberlandia shocking Marijampole: coming back from six points down to win 21-19 in the opening game of Pool D.

The Lithuanians then prevented the same thing happening again against Princeton, seeing them off 21-19, leaving the final outcome coming down to the Americans and Uberlandia, who went to overtime. William Weihermann would be the hero for Uberlandia, winning the game and a quarter-final spot with a two.

So a full day of high drama and far more to come on day two, when the eight remaining teams decide amongst themselves who is the best in Quebec. Check back here for a full report and find out more on this Challenger by visiting the official FIBA 3x3 website.