Plouffe sisters power Canada to pair of wins at 3×3 basketball stop in Prague

First it was Katherine. Then it was Michelle.

By the end of it all, the Plouffe sisters led Canada to two wins at the 3×3 basketball Women’s Series stop on Friday in Prague, taking top spot in Group A and advancing to the quarterfinals.

Canada tipped off the day with a tight victory over the hosts before dominating Italy.

Katherine Plouffe came through in the final minutes against the Czech Republic, going on a personal 5-1 run to turn a 12-11 deficit into a 16-13 victory. The 30-year-old from Edmonton finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Soon after, it was twin Michelle who took centre stage, piling up 11 points and six rebounds to key a 19-9 win over the Italians in which the Canadians never trailed. After missing all five of her attempts from beyond the arc against the Czechs, Michelle didn’t try a single one against Italy, instead shooting an efficient eight-for-nine from one-point range.

WATCH | Canada tops Italy in Prague:

Team Canada, which is coming off its second tournament win of the season in Edmonton over the weekend, was missing typical stalwart Paige Crozon, who was replaced by Jamie Scott. Scott, a 28-year-old who was born in Pasco, Wash., scored four points across the two games, including a vital two-pointer to tie things late against the Czechs.

Kacie Bosch, the 26-year-old from Lethbridge, Alta., added one point and six rebounds across the two contests.

Canada returns to the court for the quarterfinals on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, where it will meet the winner of a game between Latvia and Lithuania. Live coverage of the entire event will be available on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.