Paige Crozon, number 3, and her 3x3 team participated in the Women's Series event in Turin, Italy on June 14 and 15. (Facebook/Paige Crozon)

By Mat Barrett

Humboldt Basketball Star

Humboldt basketball player representing Canada in 3×3 Women’s Series

Jun 20, 2019 | 5:02 PM

A Humboldt born basketball star recently took her talent abroad, competing in an international competition held in Italy.

Paige Crozon is part of the inaugural Senior Women’s National team at the 3×3 level. She had previously been part of the Under-18 team in 2011 as well. Crozon and her team recently played in a 3×3 Women’s Series tournament in Turin, Italy. The series is similar to a professional golf or tennis tour where teams earn point based on how well they do at each stop.

Team Canada is comprised of Crozon, Michelle and Catherine Plouffe of Edmonton, and Brittany Dorsett out of Toronto. Crozon said the team was put together and played in the tournament without much time to adjust.

“It was just such a whirlwind, because it came up so fast,” she said. “It was kind of orchestrated by the Plouffes, with some help from provincial basketball programs.”

The team ended up finishing fourth out of eight teams at the stop in Turin. They went 1-2 in Pool Play before defeating Serbia in the quarter-finals, and then falling to France in the semi-finals in a game where they were leading most of the way. Crozon said the result was good, but they’re looking for more.

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“Fourth was a good finish, but I wouldn’t say we’re satisfied,” Crozon told northeastNOW. “We’re kind of chasing an Olympic qualification, so we want to get the best results possible.”

With the sport being added to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Crozon and her team hope to earn enough points to get a shot in an Olympic qualifier.

Prior to shifting to the 3×3 game, Crozon spent four seasons at the University of Utah in the NCAA. She would play 117 games for the Utes, starting 92 of them. Crozon also played with current 3×3 teammate Michelle Plouffe in Utah, where they were even roommates.

There’s plenty of differences in the 3×3 game, compared to the five-on-five game. The biggest being the game being played outside, in the half-court, and having a 12-second shot clock instead of a 24-second clock. Crozon said there is definitely some adjusting.

“You don’t have too much time to hang your head or dwell on a mistake because they’re coming right back at you, or you’re going on offense,” she said. “And 12 seconds isn’t a lot of time to get a shot, so you really have to move quickly to create your offense.”

While Crozon was also part of a 3×3 team in 2011, there is still a lot of differences from that level to now.

“Just because the level of play at the senior level is so fast, and the players are so quick and experienced,” Crozon said. “We didn’t have too much time to adjust because we were playing against some of the best in the world in the sport, but overall I was happy with our progress throughout the tournament.”

Most European teams have been together for two or more years at this point, while the sport is still gaining traction in Canada and the United States. Crozon said a lot of money that Basketball Canada gets, goes to the five-on-five team. Their 3×3 team does a lot of work on their own to help play in the tournaments.

“It’s a lot of just organizing and fundraising right now,” Crozon said. “Because, unfortunately we need to get results before the government will help us out.”

A lot of the organization for the 3×3 game is done by the players themselves, according to Crozon. She said she’s grateful to be part of the experience.

The teams’ next stop on the 3×3 Women’s Series will be in Poitiers, France on July 5 and 6. After that, the team will be in Italy for a tournament on July 11 and 12. The team will hopefully then be able to play in a tournament in the Czech Republic at the beginning of August. The teams’ only stop in Canada would be in Montreal at the beginning of September.

After the 3×3 season is finished, Crozon said she hopes to be playing professional basketball in Europe next season.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6