France erase 13-point halftime deficit to hold off Belgium

ANTWERP (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - France erased a 13-point halftime deficit and overcame Belgium 70-59 to start their road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 on a positive note in the European Qualifiers.

Turning Point: Vincent Collet must have said something special in the locker room after two quarters, with the Les Bleus coming out a changed team after the intermission. Trailing 38-25 at the half, France managed to turn the tables around after outscoring Belgium 45-21 in the second half of play.

Game Hero: Edwin Jackson was the man in charge of France's second-half revival, with a team-high 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. With him on the court, the guests outscored the Belgian hosts by 19 points.

Stats Don't Lie: At the end of the day, basketball is about putting the ball in the hoop and France did it better in Antwerp. They went 27-of-56 from the field for 48.2 percent, while Belgium struggled mightily, making just 35.2 percent.

Bottom Line: France have now won 47 games against Belgium, more than against any other team. There are 19 losses in the opposite column, but the Belgians have managed to defeat France only twice in the last 20 encounters.

FIBA