The Belgian Cats secured a hard-fought 75–68 victory over Sweden at the Dôme de Charleroi, rallying in the final quarter after trailing at both the end of the first period and at halftime, Le Soir reported.
Playing without injured guard Julie Allemand and forward Antonia Delaere, the hosts found themselves behind 24–23 after ten minutes and faced a 44–43 deficit at the break, according to Le Soir. Sweden managed to stay within striking distance before the reigning European champions seized control late in the game.
“On peut toujours faire mieux,” said Emma Meesseman, captain of the Belgian Cats, in an interview with Agence BELGA reported by La Libre. “Mais si on regarde les conditions, sans Julie Allemand et Antonia Delaere et avec de nombreux nouveaux visages, c’est une bonne victoire à prendre.”
Meesseman led all scorers with 26 points and added 11 rebounds on the Charleroi parquet, while veteran guard Julie Vanloo contributed 19 points. Center Kyara Linskens dominated the glass with 17 points and 14 rebounds to help seal the result in the closing minutes.
Fourth Quarter Surge Secures Victory
After a sluggish start that saw the team struggle to establish defensive consistency, Belgium shifted gears in the third quarter to build a 55–46 advantage by the 25th minute, Le Soir noted. Sweden quickly erased that cushion, trimming the margin to a single point at 66–65 to set up a tense finish.
The decisive push arrived in the final ten minutes, where the scoring load carried by Meesseman and Vanloo accounted for nearly half of the team’s total points. “Nous nous connaissons tellement bien,” Meesseman told La Libre regarding her partnership with Vanloo. “Notre jeu sur pick-and-roll fonctionne très bien. Mais nous n’allons pas toujours gagner de cette manière.”
The fixture marked a return to competitive action for the squad following an abbreviated World Cup campaign in Berlin, where an elimination in the quarterfinals left lingering disappointment, RTBF and DHnet reported. Staff and players held extensive individual evaluations in the aftermath of that tournament to reset team dynamics.
Preparation for EuroBasket 2027
Because Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania are co-hosts for the upcoming FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2027, all four nations were placed into a unique qualification group by FIBA Europe, meaning the current matches serve primarily as high-level preparation rather than traditional qualifiers, as detailed by RTBF.
The roster adjustments reflect both tactical experimentation and enforced absences. Alongside the injuries to Allemand and Delaere, young talents Nastja Claessens and Alicia Courthiau remained in the United States for their collegiate commitments, while Maxuella Lisowa missed the window due to injury, according to DHnet.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday in Sweden for their fourth match of Group H, with subsequent fixtures scheduled against Finland on February 11 and Lithuania on February 17, as reported by Le Soir.
Finlande Et Belgique S'affrontent Le 11 Février
- 11 février : Finlande vs Belgique.
- June 16–27, 2027: FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2027 across Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden
The teams return to the floor on Sunday at 16:00 local time for the second leg of their double-header against Sweden.
Worth a look
