Match Report
In the early hours of August 10th, the Olympic women’s basketball semi-final saw the French women’s team against Belgium.
The first quarter began with Meesseman scoring a layup after a break-through, followed by her hitting a fadeaway jump shot. Sallé made both free throws, and Meesseman scored another layup, giving Belgium a 6-2 lead over France at the start. Deraisme also scored a layup, and Rupert hit a shot. Sallé made a fadeaway jump shot, and Badiane scored on a layup, bringing the score to 8-8, level. Mounanga then made both free throws, Rupert hit a mid-range shot, Linkeens scored a layup, and Lamee made consecutive driving layups. Mounanga made one of two free throws, and Belgium went on a 7-0 run. As the game approached its final moments, Aya hit two free throws and a pull-up jump shot. The first quarter ended with the French women trailing Belgium 14-17 by 3 points.
The second quarter saw Johannes hit a three-pointer, finally breaking France’s drought from beyond the arc. Aya then made both free throws, and Badiane hit another three-pointer, prompting a timeout from Belgium due to an 8-0 run by France. After the timeout, Lamee made one of two free throws, Aya hit a three-point jump shot, Williams made both free throws, and Aya scored on a driving layup, extending France’s lead to 15-1. Belgium called another timeout. After the timeout, Lamee made both free throws, Meesseman made one of two, and Vanloo hit a three-point jump shot, bringing Belgium back with a 6-0 run. Chabrolle then scored a layup, Linkeens made a turnaround jump shot, and Lamee scored consecutively through free throws and shots, reducing Belgium’s deficit to 30-31, prompting another timeout. After the timeout, Linkeens scored a driving layup, overtaking France. Linkeens then made two free throws, and Vanloo made both free throws after drawing a foul on a cut. The second quarter ended with Belgium leading France 36-31 by 5 points.
In the third quarter, Beckey Messi hit a three-point jump shot, and Meesseman scored on a fadeaway shot. France called a timeout. After the timeout, Vanloo made another three-point fadeaway jump shot, and Linkeens scored two points, making it a 10-0 run for Belgium. Williams then scored on a driving layup, and Rupert hit a three-point jump shot to stop the bleeding, maintaining a 10-point lead, prompting another timeout from Belgium. After the timeout, Badiane scored a layup, and Williams hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, prompting a 10-0 run by France, making the score 41-46 in favor of Belgium. Meesseman then hit a three-point jump shot, Foutou scored on a driving layup, Beckey Messi scored a layup, Sallé hit a three-point jump shot, and Williams made both free throws. The third quarter ended with the French women trailing Belgium 48-51 by 3 points.
In the final quarter, both teams initially struggled to score. Aya drew a foul on a layup and made both free throws, scoring the only two points in the first two and a half minutes. Then, Luper made both free throws, giving France a 4-0 start and overtaking Belgium by 1 point. Johannes then made both free throws, Linkeens scored an easy basket, and Sallon made a basket, putting France ahead 56-53. Aya then made a buzzer-beater, prompting a timeout from Belgium. After the timeout, Belgium’s coach received a technical foul, and Johannes made the free throw. Linkeens scored a layup, and Luper made one of two free throws. Belgium continued to make mistakes, and Linkeens made one of two free throws. Deraisme made both free throws, and Luper scored on a layup, bringing France’s lead down to just 2 points. Aya made both free throws. In the final moments, both teams committed fouls continuously. Williams made both free throws, prompting another timeout from Belgium. After the timeout, Vanloo made all three free throws, and Meesseman hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, tying the game 66-66. With eight seconds left, France missed a three-pointer, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, Williams scored five consecutive points through shots and free throws. Meesseman made both free throws, Foutou made both free throws, Lamee continued to score through free throws, Rupert hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, Meesseman scored a driving layup, and Williams responded with a flying layup, putting France ahead 78-75. Belgium called a timeout. After the timeout, Williams made both free throws, Sallé made one of two, leaving little time for Belgium. The game ended with the French women defeating Belgium 81-75 and advancing to the Olympic finals.
Player Statistics
French Women’s Team: Williams 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists; Aya 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals; Rupert 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals; Sallé 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals; Badiane 7 points, 7 rebounds; Johannes 6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal; Foutou 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals; Chabrolle 2 points, 2 rebounds; Michel 1 assist, 1 steal; Lakan 1 assist, 3 steals; Bernies 3 rebounds;
Belgian Women’s Team: Meesseman 19 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals; Linkeens 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; Lamee 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal; Vanloo 11 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists; Deraisme 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Messi 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist; Mounanga 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal;
Starting Lineups
French Women’s Team: Aya, Sallon, Williams, Bedièn, Bernies
Belgian Team: Deraisme, Linkeens, Lamee, Meesseman, Vanloo