France Upsets Russia Claims First Seed

FRANCE 72 – RUSSIA 66

The first quarter teams traded baskets with none of the teams controlling the game and in which only the lack of accuracy decided who lead. Ilona Korstin put Russia ahead 8-5 after 2:40 and Thikonenko’s team kept ahead until the end of the first, reaching a biggest lead of 6 pts, 17-11, after a three pointer from Becky Hammon with 4:26 remaining and reaching the second quarter tied after a buzzer beater trey from Celine Dumerc which made it 23-23,

In the second what changed hands was the lead, three times. The first after a 6-2 run from France in the first three minutes, with all the points coming from Sandrine Gruda to put France ahead 29-25. Maria Stepanova and Becky Hammon would score  six straight points –three freebies and a three pointer respectively- to regain the lead for Russia, 31-29, with 4:45 remaining but France answered with an 8-0 run with all the points coming from the centers –two freebies from Emmeline Ndongue, a jumper from Gruda and two straight baskets from Isabelle Yacobou- to regain the lead for France, 37-31, and three minutes remaining in which teams traded with France looking inside –Gruda and Yacoubou- and with Russia looking to its backcourt –Ambrosimova and Hammon. France had a biggest lead of 8 pts after a basket from Gruda with 13 seconds remaining, 41-33, but the Les Belues reached the interval 41-36 after a buzzer beater trey from Hammon. 

After the break both teams struggled in the offense, the overall run was 9-11 for Russia. Celine Dumerc hit the three in the first minute to put her team 8 up, 44-36, but then received a 6-0 run in a minute – a three pointer from Hammon and a 2+1 pla y from Maria Stepanova, who Orly scored one more basket in the game very well stopped, as Osipova, by the French defense to put Russia ahead, 44-42, after 1:30 but then it took two minutes for the teams to score again until Pauline Krawkzycz made it 46-42 after 3:30. Emmeline Ndongue made it 47-42 with six minutes remaining but again teams got stuck and just scored one more point – 48-44 made by Ndongue- in the next five minutes. Teams would only score until there were left 50 seconds and Irina Osipova made it 48-44, France took air with a three pointer from Anael Lardy with 4 seconds to end the quarter but a buzzerbeater from half court from Ilona Korstin made it 50-47 to enter the fourth.
 

Svetlana Ambrosimova, the best for Russia and Maria Stepanova scored back to back baskets to put Russia into one point, 52-51, after two minutes but France reacted and Anael Lardy started an 8-0 run in the next two minutes, continued by Sandrine Gruda with four straight points and capped by a three pointer from Emmanuelle Hermouet after 3:45 pto put France ahead 60-51. In the next minutes Russia improved defensively and chipped France’s lead to get into three points with three minutes remaining after a loose ball caught by Maria Karpunina on the half court and scoring the fast break to make it 65-62 forcing Pierre Vincent to call time out, after which Emilie Gomis scored two freebies and Celine Dumerc scored two points more to put France 69-62 un and two minutes remaining and close the game for France  that would control perfectly the possessions and the remaining time, only allowing Russia to score from the charity stripe and claiming the victory for the final score of 72-66.

Russia out-rebounded France 40-27 but turn the ball over 20 times for 9 from France

Sandrine Gruda scored 17 pts for France, Celine Dumerc 16 and 4 assists and Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui 12 pts.

For Rusia Becky Hammon had 18 pts, Maria Stepanova 16 pts and 6 boards, Ilona Korstin 13 pts and Svetlana Ambrosimova 11 pts and 9 boards