The Belgian Cats have not easily qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Basketball Championship. The Belgian women defeated Turkey by barely two points.
Belgian Cats make it very exciting, but can go to quarterfinals
After Slovenia’s win against Bosnia, the game against Turkey became an all-or-nothing game for the Belgian Cats. With a win, Belgium would go straight to the quarter-finals as group winner, but a defeat would mean the elimination.
Still a lot of pressure on the kettle, but after a balanced 1st quarter the Cats seemed to come under steam. Delaere, Linskens and Hanne Mestdagh were the gunners on duty.
When, with halftime in sight, Emma Meesseman also started to find her way, the Belgians crept away on soot: 31-41 after 20 minutes.
However, Belgium did not succeed in continuing the good line of the 1st half. Offensively, it faltered for the Cats, while a stiff Turkey fought back into the game.
In a nerve-wracking final, the Turks still managed to reach three points, but Belgium did not let the victory of qualifying slip away.
Thanks to the group win, the Belgian Cats do not have to play jump-offs and they can go straight to the quarter-finals. On Wednesday they will play again in Strasbourg for a place in the semi-finals. The opponent will be the winner of the jump-off duel between Slovenia and the loser of France-Russia.
Shooters Belgium: Meesseman 15, Delaere 13, Linskens 11, H.Mestdagh 9, K.Mestdagh 7, Allemand 4, Billie Massey 4
Trembling Belgian Cats hold out in the lock and beat Turkey at the European Championship
Philip Mestdagh: “There was no margin for error anymore”
“Battling yourself back into the tournament after an early defeat is one thing, but playing for qualification in the last game is another,” national coach Philip Mestdagh admitted.
“Then there is no margin for mistakes. Every ball, every pass, every shot is important and can make the difference. Either we win or we can go home. There was no second chance anymore.”
“I am therefore satisfied and proud of my players with the way they dealt with that, even when Turkey put us under pressure.”
“But when we had a 15-point lead at half-time, we should have silenced the game and we didn’t do that.”
After all, Turkey did everything it could to keep star player Emma Meesseman out of the game. “If they do it correctly, I have no problem with it. But if the refs do their job, they have to whistle 35 times for a foul on Emma.”
“My players should not be protected, but a correct treatment is allowed,” he concluded.
Allemand: “I played a lesser game”
- Kim Mestdagh: “The win is the most important thing. It was a strange match. Turkey played a kind of defense that we hadn’t had before. We didn’t know they would play like that. all right.”
- Emma Meesseman: “It was a physical match, with some extra stress, because so much depended on it. I’m glad it ended well. We didn’t get the pace we wanted. I don’t know why. Maybe because of the heat. We “We need to speed up and play simple, but because of the Turkish defense we needed time to find solutions. We have shown that we are one team and that everyone can be dangerous.”
- Julie German: “I would have liked to do more to support Emma. I played a lesser game. It was a tough game, the heat is really exhausting. We have to be able to give that little bit extra every time. We can’t just count on Emma, everyone has to do his part. Now we can change our minds for a moment. We really need that.”
Meesseman: “Glad it ended well”
Kim Mestdagh: “My three-pointer came at the right time”
