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Canada falls in semis of FIBA 3x3 Basketball Women's Series Final

Canada's Katherine Plouffe, shown at left in this file photo, helped her team reach the semifinals at the FIBA 3x3 Basketball Women's Series Final in Hangzhou, China, but the team was eliminated by the Netherlands on Sunday. (X/@CanBball - image credit)
Canada's Katherine Plouffe, shown at left in this file photo, helped her team reach the semifinals at the FIBA 3x3 Basketball Women's Series Final in Hangzhou, China, but the team was eliminated by the Netherlands on Sunday. (X/@CanBball - image credit)

There will be no three-peat for Canada at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series.

The two-time defending champions lost a hard-fought semifinal 21-19 to the Netherlands on Sunday at Women's Series Final tournament in Hangzhou, China.

Paige Crozon, Cassandra Brown, and twin sisters Michelle and Katherine Plouffe never held a lead in the match, trailing at times by as much as five points.

With 48.6 seconds remaining in the game, the Dutch held a 20-16 lead and needed only a single basket to win the game. A late flurry from Canada drew them within a two-pointer of victory before the Netherlands' Noortje Driessen converted on a foul shot to win the game.

The Dutch will play France in the final later Sunday. The French team beat the Chinese U24 team 18-6 in the quarterfinals and Italy 15-11 in the other semifinal match at Hangzhou Xiaoshan Cultural Square.

The Canadians beat the Chinese U23 team 21-11 in the quarterfinals earlier Sunday, and had chalked up a 2-1 record in pool play on Saturday.