Canada’s Men’s and Women’s 3x3 National Teams opened play at the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico with identical 1-1 records on Friday. The second-place-finishes in their respective group stages helped both teams advance to Sunday's quarter-finals.

The Canadian Women’s 3x3 Team, featuring Kacie Bosch, Paige Crozon, Saicha Grant-Allen and Jamie Scott, opened their AmeriCup journey with a 12-10 victory against Colombia to start the day with a win. Crozon had eight points and five rebounds as she connected on three of four attempts from deep to lead the Canadians. Scott had six rebounds, including four offensive boards.

Canada defeated Colombia despite falling behind 4-0 to start, as Crozon scored the team’s first basket with 7:44 remaining. Another basket from Crozon, this time a two-pointer, moved Canada within a point of Colombia and then Grant-Allen made a free throw to tie the game at five points apiece.

Another two from Crozon gave Canada a two-point lead, but Colombia quickly tied the game back up then moved in front after a drive from Jenifer Muñoz. Crozon’s third two-pointer of the game gave Canada a two-point lead once again, and this time they didn’t relinquish it, using their defence to lead them to victory.

Canada fell to Brazil 15-14 in overtime in their second game of the day after Brazil scored the first two points in overtime to secure the win. Neither team scored a two-pointer in the contest as Grant-Allen and Scott led Canada with five points apiece while Scott added seven rebounds and Grant-Allen added six rebounds and a blocked shot. Brazil was led by a seven-point performance from Vitória Marcelino in the victory.

After the teams went back and forth through the first half of the game, back-to-back scores from Scott and Crozon gave Canada a three-point lead, 10-7, with 3:52 remaining. Brazil tied the game at 11 points apiece with 2:19 remaining, setting up a furious battle to the end. After a basket and a free throw from Grant-Allen, Canada moved in front 13-11 with 1:47 remaining, but Marcelino brought Brazil within a point and Raphaella Monteiro da Silva tied the game at 13 points apiece, setting up overtime.

Marcelino and Scott traded baskets to open the extra session, but Bosch was called for a tough foul against da Silva who made the free throw to complete the one-point, 15-14 overtime victory.

“I thought we improved from the first game to the second,” Canada 3x3 Women’s National Team head coach Kim Gaucher said. “It's the first time these four are playing together, so the timing and flow will take a little bit of time but I thought we looked better in a very physical second game against Brazil. We’re looking forward to a raucous quarter-final environment against Puerto Rico in San Juan on Sunday.”

The Canadian Men’s 3x3 Team is represented by Bikramjit Gill, Alex Johnson, Dele Ogundokun and Chad Posthumus in San Juan.

In the team’s first game of the day, Canada defeated Ecuador 22-14 behind a dominant 10-point, 10-rebound double-double from Posthumus, who also added two blocked shots, as well as an eight-point effort from Johnson who sank four two-pointers in the win.

Ecuador scored the first point of the game, but Canada went on a 12-1 run to take a 12-2 lead with 5:05 remaining with seven points coming from Posthumus. A late push from Ecuador trimmed Canada’s lead to three, 16-13, with 1:21 remaining, but they wouldn’t get any closer as Gill and Posthumus both scored and then Johnson closed the game with back-to-back two-pointers to give Canada the 22-14 victory.

In the team’s second game of the day, the Canadian Men’s 3x3 squad fell to Uruguay 21-20 in a wild game that featured two completely opposite offensive performances. While Canada connected on seven two-point shots compared to three from Uruguay, the Canadians made just one shot from inside the arc on three attempts compared to Uruguay’s 13-for-24 field goals from inside the arc. 

Canada opened the game with a pair of two-pointers and held an early 7-4 advantage until Esteban Batista Hernandez scored on back-to-back possessions for Uruguay. A second two-pointer for Gill gave Canada the 9-5 advantage with 7:30 remaining, but Uruguay scored four straight points to tie the game with 6:11 remaining. 

After a two-point shot from Johnson, a pair of free throws from Ogundokun and then a two-pointer from Gill, Canada moved in front by five, 18-13, with 3:54 remaining. Johnson made one of two free throws to extend the advantage to six points with 3:45 seconds, but Uruguay went on their own run, scoring seven straight points to lead 20-19 with 47 seconds remaining. Johnson made one of two free throws to tie the game at 20 points apiece with 25 seconds remaining, but Demiàn Avarez scored with seven seconds remaining to give Uruguay the victory.

Both the Canadian Men and Women’s 3x3 Teams will be in action on Sunday, Dec. 3rd. The Canadian Women’s 3x3 Team will face host-team Puerto Rico at 1:25 p.m. ET/10:25 a.m. PT while the Men’s 3x3 Team will play at 2:15 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, opponent to be determined.