ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA — Canada’s 3x3 Men’s National Team closed out its 2025 FIBA 3x3 World Cup run on Thursday, falling to both France and Puerto Rico to finish at the bottom of Pool C and miss out on the play-in and playoff rounds.

In their first matchup of the day, Canada battled hard but came up short in a 21-18 loss to France. Aaron Rhooms and Grant Audu led the scoring effort with 8 points apiece, with Rhooms making a late offensive push to close the gap before time ran out.

Later in the day, Canada fell 21-17 to Puerto Rico in another physical contest. Jerome Desrosiers led with 8 points and 4 rebounds, while Rhooms added 7 points and 6 rebounds in a strong two-way performance.

Reflecting on the tournament, Desrosiers praised the team’s grit and resilience in their World Cup debut:

“I’m most proud of the way we fought,” he said. “This is a pretty young team in terms of 3x3 experience, so the way we stayed together throughout the whole experience is something to be proud of for sure.”

Despite the early exit, the experience marked a key step forward for the team’s long-term growth.

“Anytime we can get Canada guys playing together, just getting more experience and understanding how hard it is to win in 3x3 — it’s always a positive for us,” Desrosiers added. “This is just a stepping stone toward the Olympics. We have to keep working together, keep working hard. This was a good first step.”