On the morning of August 10, in the Olympic women’s basketball semi-final, Team France trailed Belgium by 5 points at halftime, the score being 31-36.
In the first quarter, Meesseman helped Belgium take the lead with three successful shots out of three attempts. The French women’s team managed to tie the game through multiple attempts, but their shooting percentage was extremely low, hovering around 25%, especially with a 0-for-7 performance from beyond the arc in the first quarter. Fortunately, they had a significant advantage on the offensive rebounds. Towards the end of the first quarter, Belgium went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead, finishing the quarter with Belgium leading 17-14 over France.
In the second quarter, Belgium struggled to score initially. Johannes came off the bench and hit a three-pointer, breaking the team’s drought from beyond the arc. Soon after, Badiane and Ayayi also hit three-pointers, helping France start the quarter with a 15-1 run, overtaking Belgium and extending their lead into double digits. Belgium called multiple timeouts, and after the second timeout, they responded with a 6-0 run to narrow the gap. Linckens then scored through free throws and field goals, and De Lemelle stepped up to help Belgium score. By halftime, Belgium had regained the lead, 36-31, five points ahead of the French women’s team.
Half-time statistics:
Belgium: Linckens with 8 points, Meesseman with 7 points and 9 rebounds, De Lemelle with 11 points and 3 assists, Vanloo with 5 points and 3 assists, Mununga with 3 points and 4 rebounds
France: Ayayi with 11 points, Bedience with 5 points and 5 rebounds, Salah with 4 points and 5 rebounds, Liiper with 4 points
