Russia Control France Late For Win

Russia 65 - France 57

France begin the game strong, as usual, taking control of the game with an aggressive defense and a balanced offense and they lead during the quarter. Pauline Thizy gave France its biggest leads twice in the quarter pts, 15-8 y 17-10, and scored all of her six points in the first. France started the game leaning into its go to players; Allison Vernerey (5 pts) and Diandra Tchatchouang (7 pts)

Olga Shuneykina took advantage of her titan Liubov Paskalenko. She put her in with five minutes into the game to use Paskalenko’s size (2’03) to intimidate France’s inside play and drivings, and control the rebounding  and it worke since France remained scoreless the next 2:30. Russia’s offense didn’t work in that minutes and couldn’t take advantage of France’s drought. Paskalenko scored the last five points from Russia (7 in the first), right after Pauline thizy’s 17-10, and Russia finished the quarter  trailing 19-15 

First 3:25 in the second were about trading and Russia chipped France’s lead and get into one point twice after back to back treys from Anastasya Kolotilschikova, right after her scored the 24-23 France made a 9-0 run and took a deep breath reaching a double digit margin, 33-23, with 4:13 for the break Isabelle Strunc closed the run with a three pointer and summed 5 points from the 9. In the next two minutes Russia made a 10-2 run. (The first 4 pts  came from the free throw line). However the didn’t score a field goal until there were 1:51 for the break. With 33-27 in the scoreboard Alexandra Tarasova scored a jump shot after four and a half minutes since their last field goal. . Laurie Datchy scored immediately but then appeared the later decider  Anastasya Shilova who scored Russia’s last four points before the break that made the score 35-33.

Olga Bogdanova’s tie in the very beginning of the third (35-35) was nothing but a simple anecdote since France went immediately back in front. They couldn’t pull away from the Russians, though, who continued improving its game. Olga Shuneikyna switched defenses during the whole game and her team, point by point, cut its deficit . Bogdanova made it 42-41 after 3:45. Diandra Tchatchouang made it 43-41 in the next play. Then was when Anastasya Shilova made her star appearance. The Russian forward sparked and scored 8 straight points in a 10-0 run and turn around the game  for Russia for good. Russia was up 43-51 for the first time in the game with three minutes remaining, leaving France scoreless three and a half minutes. Diandra Tchatchouang cut the drought, 45-51, but then both teams just scored 2 points each in the next minutes, reaching the end of the third 53-47 after a basket from Anna Ostroukhova.

In the last ten minutes Russia took complete control of the game and managed to resist France’s tryings to make a Comeback in a fourth quarter in which none of the teams scored easily (The total score in the quarter was 12-10 for Rusia). Liubov Paskalenko scored the first and only basket in the first three minutes making it 55-47 for Rusia and then teams begin trading. Tatiana Petrushina gave Russia double digit margin with 4:14 remaining in the game, 62-52.  Gregory Halin’s team tried to make a Comeback unsuccessfully. Diandra Tchatchouang –who scored 5 from France’s ten points- was too alone in the offense and Russia was able to answer every time France scored. After a three point play scored by herself to make it 65-55 with four minutes remaining the teams remained scoreless until the last seconds of the quarter, when Mèdélomé Medenou scored the final 65-57

Liubov Paskalenko had 13 pts and 9 boards for Russia, with Anastasya Shilova adding 12 points.

For France, Diandra Tchatchouang scored 18 points and a disappeared Allison Vernerey added 9 pts and 9 rebounds