MEDAL HOPES DASHED FOR CANADA’S SQUAD
Inability to finish against France proves costly in quarter-final loss
Canada’s Katherine Plouffe gathered the ball just at the threepoint line, with about seven minutes to go in a close quarterfinal match against France.
She hesitated for a moment and then fired. It came up well short of the rim and almost landed in the arms of Kia Nurse below the basket, but she couldn’t corral it and the ball went out of bounds for a turnover.
It was emblematic of a night of missed opportunities for Canada, which came into the game on a two-game losing streak, but jumped out to a quick lead that, in the end, it couldn’t contain. Hot shooting turned cold. Then it turned arctic.
In the end, France made just enough shots to get the 68-63 win in a sloppy game that puts them through to the semifinal. Canada couldn’t outrun that hoariest of hoary basketball clichés: you have to make your shots.
The Canadians couldn’t crack 30 per cent shooting in the second half, as they gave away all of a lead and then some, and even though they played strong defence on the night, it couldn’t make up for their inability to score baskets. It was always going to be a tough game against a strong French team, but Canada couldn’t afford to make it that tough.
“I think talent-wise, we had the talent to beat France,” said Canada’s Shona Thorburn, fighting back tears, when the Olympic run was over. “So, you know,” she said, trying to find the words: “It’s basketball.”
If France came into the game as the clear favourite, fourth in the FIBA world rankings to Canada’s ninth, the Canadians knew there was one possibility for the great equalizer: shooting from distance. And in the first quarter, Canada almost couldn’t miss. Literally. It took until less than two minutes remained in the opening frame for the Canadians to clank a shot from the field; they ended up shooting 70 per cent from the field in the first quarter and 75 per cent from three-point range.
Those kind of numbers will almost always put you in the lead and Canada was: Miah-Marie Langlois canned a jump shot as the buzzer sounded to give the underdogs a 25-16 lead after one quarter.
But there is a word for shooting 70 per cent from the field over a quarter: unsustainable. Canada cooled off considerably in the second quarter, hitting just 33 per cent of its field-goal attempts and missing all three of their tries from beyond the three-point line.
France wasn’t knocking down shots with any regularity either, though, at just 43 per cent for the first half, which allowed Canada to make it to the break with a 3732 lead. It was something close to an ideal start for Canada: they were outrebounded slightly, but had more assists, and although they made a pile of turnovers (10) then forced a pile of them (11), too. Coming off the loss to Spain in which they shot 36 per cent — and nine per cent from distance — it was exactly what they needed.
Except the shooting demons did not stay exorcised. Canada opened the second half by missing its first six attempts from the field, and when France’s Sarah Michel heaved a desperation three-pointer from well beyond the line as time expired — and hit it — the game was tied, 37-37. This after Canada had led by 13 early in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the loaded United States team followed that with a thorough 110-64 dismantling of Japan.
They will play France in the semis. It was a spot that, for a while there, looked like it would be Canada’s.