UTSUNOMIYA, (May 3, 2024) - Canada’s 3x3 Women’s National Team opened the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a win. Paige Crozon led the way with a 10-point performance as Canada defeated Kenya 19-12 to open women’s play in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

“I think it was great to come out and get a win to start the Olympic Qualifying Tournament,” Crozon said. “It was a good opener for us and exposed some things we want to improve upon and grow upon as we progress in the tournament. It was a good way to knock off some of the rust and play together. We’re looking forward to building off of that moving forward.”

Team Canada (Crozon, Kacie Bosch and Michelle and Katherine Plouffe) will need to win the tournament in Japan to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Canada entered the tournament after opening the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series season with a victory in Springfield last weekend.

Crozon was lights out all from over the court in the victory, finishing with 10 points, including four two-pointers. Her shots from long range helped Canada build separation from Kenya as the Canadians finished with five two-pointers in the game compared to just one for their opponent. Michelle and Katherine Plouffe added six rebounds apiece in the win.

“Shout out to my teammates because they found me when I was open and trusted me with the ball, especially as the shot clock was winding down,” Crozon said. “[They] found ways to create second-chance opportunities. Having trust and faith in them really helped me find my shots and have the confidence to knock them down when needed.”

While the game was close to start, Crozon moved Canada in front for good when she scored six straight points to turn an early tie into an 11-5 lead for Canada with 5:59 remaining.

After Kenya’s Victoria Reynolds trimmed Canada’s lead to two points with a bucket inside, 12-10, Katherine responded with a shot of her own and then Crozon drilled her fourth two-pointer of the game to quickly push the lead back to five, 15-10, with 3:06 remaining.

A tough defensive effort in the final minutes helped Canada force Kenya into tough and rushed shots as they closed in on the victory.

“Our focus is always on the defensive end,” Crozon said. “Being really clean and crisp with all of our actions defensively and making sure that we are communicating well.”

Up next for the Canadians will be a meeting with the Netherlands on Saturday, May 4 at 2:25 a.m. ET / 11:25 p.m. PT.

Fans in Canada can catch all the action streaming across CBC digital platforms, including the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca and CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices or FIBA 3x3 YouTube.