Not final: Belgian Cats handed big bonus and cracked after upsets against France

Facing home country at the Bercy Arena in their first ever Olympic final, the Belgian Cats had to dismantle a strong France in a battle for the gold medal against Team USA.

The Belgian women got off to a great start, with Emma Meesseman leading the way. She immediately scored 6 points in two minutes.

The French response was not long in coming. With their high intensity and tremendous pressure on the woman in possession, the Cats dominated the ball. Valerian Ayayi was the big woman for the home team.

France lost the ball too much and wasted too many offensive rebounds, and France got back into the game. Belgium turned a 2-8 and 10-16 lead into a 29-18 deficit after that strong start.

Towards the end of the second quarter, the Cats found their second wind, and France had lost them for a while. Point after point continued for the Belgian team, thanks in part to the smooth scoring of Elise Ramet.

The scoreboard read 31-24 with 4 minutes remaining in the first half. However, the score went into the locker room at 31-36, with the Cats having more of a defensive advantage.

Immediately after the break, the team added another 10 points without a French response. No less than 22 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, the Cats seemed to have beaten France by force.

However, that 15-point gap would not be enough. Under Gabe Williams, the game became playable again in the fourth quarter, 48-51. The Cats showed the same mistakes: quick ball losses and lack of sharpness on rebounds.

Overall, the French women thought as they entered the last ten minutes. Free throws went smoothly and Belgium was left with its back to the wall. 66-60 with one minute left, the Cats needed another miracle.

When they need her most, she stands up. First, Julie Vanloo made it 66-63 with three free throws, and in the final eight seconds, Ger Meessman tied it with a three-pointer to make it 66-66.

The Cats managed to get through the eye of a needle during the French attack at the end of regular time, but they managed to win in extra time.

With the home fans cheering them on, France had to do their best again in the five minutes of extra time. And it was Williams who had to do it again.

With 5 points in one minute, the Cats were forced to chase. A gap that the battle-weary Belgians were no longer able to bridge.

They did everything they could and still sniffed out the three-point gap that could have been closed, but the make-up three-pointer didn’t fall this time.

Meesseman made it 76-75 with just over a minute to go. A big thriller that went on and on, but not with a happy ending for the Cats.

France were relentless and completely crushed Belgium’s hopes, once again in the person of Williams: she scored 18 points in the semi-final.

At 19, Meesseman has only done better once, but to no avail. 81-75 was the final verdict and France, not Belgium, may challenge the United States in the Olympic final.

In the consolation match for the bronze medal, the Belgian Cats must prepare for the battle against Australia on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.