Basketball: Australia, Belgium first to advance to Paris Olympics SFs
Paris: Jade Melbourne scored 14 of her 18 points by halftime and Australia advanced to the Paris Olympics semi-finals in women’s basketball by routing Serbia 85-67 on Wednesday.
The Opals had to win their group-play finale to reach the elimination round, and they got a bit of revenge by beating the country that stunned them in the quarter-finals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Australia came into the Paris Games ranked third in the world, and the Opals are looking for their first Olympic medal since taking bronze at the 2012 London Games.
Their semi-final opponent on Friday will be either the US or Nigeria, which will play later on Wednesday. The Americans are the reigning Olympic champions, looking for an unprecedented eighth consecutive gold. Nigeria opened the Paris Games by beating the Opals for the country’s first Olympic win since 2004 in Athens.
Belgium reached its first semifinal in the Cats’ second Olympic appearance, routing Spain 79-66 to advance. The Cats celebrated with fans by clapping three times, and then a couple of players ran around the court celebrating the victory. They will play either host nation France or Germany, which is looking to extend its Olympic debut to Friday for the chance to play for gold.
Serbia is going home at the earliest point of the country’s third straight Olympic appearance following a stunning loss that left the players sobbing or trying to hold back tears in the final minutes. The Serbs won bronze in their Olympic debut at the Rio Games and finished fourth three years ago in Tokyo.
The Opals led 48-32 at halftime. In Tuesday’s men’s quarterfinals, Australia blew a 24-point lead and lost in overtime to Serbia. The women never came close to that Wednesday. Alanna Smith scored nine of her 22 points in the third quarter, and Australia pushed its lead to 28 at one point. Cayla George added 17 and Sami Whitcomb had 15 for the Opals. Jovana Nogic led Serbia with 17 points. Angela Dugalic added 14 and Ivana Raca 10.
Belgium 79, Spain 66Emma Meesseman, who last played in the WNBA in 2022 with Chicago and was an All-Star that year, set the tone by knocking down back-to-back 3s to open the game for Belgium.
