3x3 Women's Series in Bucharest - Pool Stage Recap

Just over a week after seeing victory on home soil, Canada's 3x3 team were looking to make it a second successive tournament success on the 3x3 Women's Series.

The same team who took the title in Edmonton - Paige Crozon, Kacie Bosch and Plouffe twins Michelle and Katherine - had made the trip to Eastern Europe for the Bucharest stop on the women's world tour. Some of the very best 3x3 nations - as well as independent team Dusseldorf ZOOS - would also be vying for victory in the Romanian capital. The first day of competition saw all twelve playing in four pools of three, with the top two from each advancing to the knockout stage the next day.

Canada opened Pool C against the 3x3 force of Italy. Scoring four points in under a minute, it would be Italy with the best start but Crozon quickly tied the scores, with Sara Madera increasing the Italian lead soon after. Midway through the game Katherine Plouffe hit four in a row to put Canada in front, only for Debora Carangelo to tie the scores with a two seconds later.

Plouffe sought to force the issue and instigated another four-point run, with her and her team mates boosting their advanatge into the biggest lead of the game. For Italy Carangelo and Rae Lin D'Alie were on hand to close the gap to one with seconds left, but a final layup from Michelle would seal the close Canadian win.

It was another slow start for Canada as Israel took an early lead, but Michelle and Crozon kept it close in the face of their opponents' effectiveness in the paint. At the mid-point of the game the two tied the game then put Canada in front, with Daniel Raber now keeping Israel in it, as she continued to find points in the low post. Four points in the last minute put the game and the group to bed for Canada, they beat Israel 22-17 and in doing so advance as winners of Pool B.

Canada move on to face Dusseldorf in the quarter finals, with the German team's four-point win over the Czech Republic enough to guarantee their place on day two. The winner here will face either France or Latvia - while the French have been on blistering form with two big wins in their pool, Latvia's presence down to a narrow win over Austria.

On the other end of the draw Italy will face the USA, undefeated winners of Pool D, with Germany the winners of Pool A after winning their two games by ten and nine points respectively. Their opponent will be Romania, who lost to France but advanced with an eight-point defeat of Switzerland to clinch the last quarter-final spot.

Whatever happens next for Canada, they are certain to come up against some stiff opposition as the field in the Bucharest tournament narrows, leaving only room for the best out there. Check back here for a full report of their day two exploits and see more over on the official 3x3 Women's Series website.