Czech Republic Survives Late France Rally To Claim Bronze Medal

Czech Republic 70 - France 60

The Czech Republic played uptempo game, with strong defense, looping for the fast break or transition game against a French team who came out playind strong defense and trying to control the game. The Czechs took the lead of the game early in the first. Katerina Zavazalova made it 6-5 for the Czechs and they won’t look back in the whole first half and, after a frantic first quarter passing from defense to offense with no rest, and finished leading 17-15.

The second was in the same track, and Allison Vernerey close the gap to one point, 22-21,  after 2:30. Karolina Elhotova answered one minute later making it 24-21 for  the czechs and sparking an 8-0 run, capped by herself from the free throw line to sum 5 points in the spurt, making it 29-21 with 3:44 remaining for the break. France wouldn’t score until it was 2:45 for the break, after remaining scoreless for more than five minutes, thanks to a jumper from Diandra Tchatchouang, to start a trading span which lasted until the break, which arrived 33-27 for Romana Ptacková’s team.

After the intervalo the Czech Republic had as much as a 9 pts lead. After Michaela Stará made it 34-43 with 3:10 into the tirad, France reacted and made a 12-2 run, in which Diandra Tchatchouang scored 7, to put France back in front, 46-45. However Romana Ptacková’s team always answered any France try to get back in the game and, after Pauline Thizy made it 49-47 with a three pointer with 3:25 remaining, Fance got scoreless again until the end of the third, receiving a 9-0 run, with 5 points from Katerina Zavazalova, to enter in the fourth 49-56 ahead.

France began the fourth with a 7-0 run that tied the score again after 2:40, Tchatchouang scored 5 pts in the spurt. But Czechs answered again and after Diandra Tchatchouang levelled scores at 58 after 3:45, Gregory Halin’s team received a 10-0 run, with 5 points from Renata Brezinova and capped by Karolina Elhotova with 3:14 remaining in the game, that blew all French hopes away. They wouldn’t score until it was 2:30 remaining and in that span they just scored three points, all three freebies from Tchatchouang. Klara Rosenbaunova scored the last points for the Czechs with 2:11  remaining to make it 60-70, only being scored one more point until the end of the game, and claiming the Czech Republic the Bronze Medal.