Deficient German basketball team falls victim to Belgium's superior play at the European Championships
Revised Article:
Germany Falls Short in EuroBasket Quarter-Finals, Headed to Placement Round
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Germany's women's basketball players missed their shot at the EuroBasket semi-finals for the first time in 28 years. Despite a strong start led by WNBA stars Leonie Fiebich and Luisa Geiselöder, they fell miserably to defending champions Belgium, 59:83, only to face Turkey in the placement round on Friday.
Germany's confidence soared high after two victories in the group stage in Hamburg against Sweden and Britain, and their recent Olympic triumph in Paris boosted their morale. However, it was short-lived as they couldn't match the prowess of Belgium in the second half. The star player for Belgium, Emma Meesseman, put on a spectacular display scoring 30 points and raking in 9 rebounds.
The initial segments were promising, with the German team showing no fear against the favorites. They nailed three-pointers in the first quarter, with Geiselöder sinking three of them. Germany even took a four-point lead at one point, ending the first quarter tied 21:21. But, in preparation, the German team had experienced two clear defeats against Belgium, which happened when Fiebich and Geiselöder were unavailable due to club obligations in the WNBA.
Belgium started picking up the pace in the second quarter, leaving Germany struggling to keep up. At times, Germany had to substitute Alexis Peterson and Alexandra Wilke due to injuries, which exposed the depth issues in the team. By halftime, Germany trailed by just six points, but Belgium shot hot in the third quarter, taking a massive 18 points lead (63:45), effectively sealing the game for them. Germany's offense faltered, especially in long-range attempts.
Emily Bessoir summed up Germany's performance on Magentasport, "The first half was good, we defended well. After the break, they had their run, and we couldn't counter it. The third quarter broke us a bit." Despite Fiebich and Geiselöder being in action this time, Fiebich struggled with her shots, hitting only 2 out of 10 attempts.
Germany's loss in the quarter-finals means they will compete in the placement round to determine the tournament rankings outside the semifinals. Their fate will depend on their ability to regroup and seize any opportunity to advance in placement. Spectators eagerly anticipate their upcoming match against Turkey.
The German women's basketball team, despite their strong start, fell to Belgium in the EuroBasket Quarter-Finals, notably missing the semi-finals for the first time in 28 years. This setback has led them to play basketball in the placement round instead, aiming to regroup and seize opportunities to advance in the placement matches, particularly against Turkey.
