Tricolores defeat Dragons: Second round of World Cup qualifiers unsuccessful for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina was defeated away to France 84:65 in the second round of World Cup qualifiers.

Despite the loss, Duško Vujošević's players showed their teeth against the favored Tricolores, and with a bit more concentration and luck in certain moments, the Dragons could have achieved a more favorable result, which does not truly reflect the performance on the court.

The match opened with points from Diaw, after which our team took a 2:4 lead through Stipanović and Gordić. This was followed by a run from the hosts, who led 17:6 with 2:02 left in the first quarter after a basket by Labeyrie. We managed to recover by the end, closing the first 10 minutes at 19:12.

In the second quarter, our basketball players raised their game further, and the hosts' lead gradually melted away. Gordić hit a three-pointer with 6:20 left to make it 24:23. The French soon went up by five after Labeyrie's free throws, but Kikanović scored four consecutive points to level the game at 31:31. The hosts went into halftime with a lead after Julien hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 39:34.

The French paved their way to victory in the third quarter. Our basketball players struggled offensively, while the hosts patiently increased their lead. After a layup by Fall with 3:12 left, they went up by 11 again (51:40). We managed to cut the deficit to six after a basket by Stipanović, but in the next possession, Lacombe hit a three-pointer and converted the additional free throw for a new double-digit lead. The decisive period began at 61:49 for the Tricolores, with Jackson scoring at the buzzer.

At the start of the decisive quarter, we went on a 5:0 run, reducing the score to 63:54 through Stipanović. However, the hosts quickly responded, hitting a three-pointer with 6:19 left to go up by 14 (70:56). In the remaining minutes, the French capitalized on our team's drop in form and celebrated a final 84:65 victory.

The most efficient player for our team was Gordić with 16 points, while Milošević, Kikanović, Stipanović, and Atić also scored in double figures. For the hosts, six basketball players finished the match with 10 or more points, with Layberie leading the way with 13 points.

After two rounds in qualifying Group E, France has a maximum of four points, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia with three points each, while Belgium has two points. The qualifiers continue in February next year.

(sportske.ba)