Canada's men drop 2nd straight to open Paralympic basketball qualifier

Canada quickly needs to find a way to play a full 40-minute game and be effective when top player Patrick Anderson isn't on the court at the men's wheelchair basketball Paralympic qualifying tournament.

The Canadians led 39-37 midway through the third quarter Saturday before France grabbed momentum and scored 24 of the final 40 points for a 61-55 victory before a home crowd of 600 at Azur Arena in Antibes.

France improved its record to 2-0 to move into a tie with the Netherlands in Group B while Canada slipped to 0-2 and takes on Iran, also 0-2, on Sunday at 7:15 a.m. ET. Live streaming coverage will be available on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

Canada made four of 11 attempts from three-point range but Colin Higgins and Anderson each missed in the final minute in a valiant effort to cut into France's lead.

With the Canadians trailing by six, Anderson missed a three with 2:02 left on the clock and Vincent Dallaire couldn't convert from under the basket 15 seconds later.

WATCH | Full replay of Canada vs. France:

Anderson and Higgins were a force, combining for 44 of Canada's 55 points. Higgins's 26 points were a game high while Anderson added 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Late in the third quarter, France applied intense pressure against the Canadians, who had to find a way to score with Anderson off for a rest. But it was Alexis Ramonet stepping up to give France a 47-40 advantage entering the final 10 minutes.

The teams exchanged points in the first quarter but Canada struggled to contain Nicolas Jouanserre, who scored nine of his 15 points in the opening 12 minutes. Ramonet also scored 15 points and was 6-for-13 from the field.

France extended its lead to eight points and was ahead by