In the early hours of August 10th, the Olympic Women’s Basketball semi-final saw Belgium battle host nation France’s women’s team into overtime, ultimately losing 75-81 and missing out on the final.
In this game, Belgium could be said to have given it their all. They were down by 6 points in the last moments of the fourth quarter but managed to drag the game into overtime with three successful free throws and a crucial three-pointer. However, they faced issues with stamina in overtime and eventually lost to the French team.
The Belgian starters overall performed well in this match. Apart from Vanloo’s lower shooting percentage (2 out of 11), the other four players had good shooting form, with four starters scoring in double digits. Unfortunately, the bench was somewhat lacking, with the Belgian bench only contributing a combined total of 8 points. Becky Messemaker played 30 minutes off the bench and scored only 5 points. In contrast, France’s bench combined for 31 points, showing a significant gap between the two teams’ bench performances.
Meesseman continued her good form in this game, playing the full 40 minutes as a starter. She shot 7 out of 14, including 2 out of 4 from beyond the arc and 3 out of 4 from the free-throw line, leading the game with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. She also made 2 steals, had 5 turnovers, and committed 2 fouls, ending with a plus-minus of -8. Linkeus also had an efficient game, hitting 6 out of 8 shots for 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Deleire scored 9 points, while Lemaitre contributed 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.