2023-06-24 22:42:46
By Julien Henninot
Posted yesterday at 22:33, Updated yesterday at 22:42
Marine Fauthoux against Germany. JURE MAKOVEC / AFP
End of the blue dream for the France team during this Euro, which ends in the semi-finals. Belgium dominated the whole match and finally won 67-63.
End of the blue dream for the France team during this Euro, which ends in the semi-finals. Belgium dominated the whole match and finally won 67-63.
Big start for the French. Sandrine Gruda put all her weight into rebounding and scoring to put Les Bleues on the right track. The end of the quarter was less dashing. This was seen when Sandrine Gruda came out to rest on the bench. Emma Meesseman was on cloud nine during those first ten minutes. The Belgian Cat finally scored 12 of their team’s first 14 points. This will not have been the only problem for the Blues. The latter lost a lot of balls on unsteady passes and suffered the law of the Belgians on the offensive rebound. France was already 10 points behind after the first quarter (8-18).
In the 2nd quarter, the Bleues had picked up the score, thanks to the 5 major, back on the floor. Gruda and Badiane inflict a 6-1 on the Belgians and come back to 14-19. Les Bleues could have definitely imposed their rhythm, before the return of Emma Meesseman. But that was not done. Because the top scorer (18 points at halftime) returned to the field and quickly set the record straight (23-32). Moreover, all the Belgian Cats have increased the pace. France almost cracked on the long distance baskets of the Belgians (9/16 at 3 points at halftime). The first period ended with a score of 30 to 44 and the results were striking: 24 rebounds and 9 3-point shots for the Belgians, 9 rebounds 1 3-point shot for the Blues…
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Les Bleues two points from equalizing
Upon returning from the locker room, the debates were neutralized by the Belgians. The latter managed to lock the racket, but France managed to remobilize to break the symbolic bar of 10 points behind (38-47). But unfortunately for the tricolors, Marine Fauthoux could not control her fall on a double step. The back of the leader hit the ground violently and the latter had to leave her place. Les Bleues seemed more eye-catching, forcing some ball losses, and pushing the Belgians to take shots at the very end of possession. But in the end, the Belgians were not worried (46-54 at the end of the 3rd quarter).
Belgium perfectly extinguished the fire of the 3rd quarter, in the first moments of the 4th quarter. They slowed down the game and tightened the screws in defense. The French attack was too static and individual exploits were not the right horse to bet on. It was this moment that Marine Fauthoux chose to score two consecutive and-ones (63-58)! This revolt probably woke up the Blues who had a big heat stroke. They managed to come back to within two small points of their opponents (63-65). In the end, the Blue lost 67-63. They will face Hungary for 3rd place. The Belgians will take part in their first final in their history, against Spain.
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