FIBA Europe - Turkey win leaves France on outside looking in at EuroBasket 2009

GENEVA (EuroBasket 2009) - Turkey completed an unbeaten EuroBasket 2009 qualifying campaign with an 80-78 triumph at France on Saturday.

The result prevented Tony Parker and France (3-3) from direct qualification for next year's tournament.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Parker was the only French player to score in double figures with 37 points but that wasn't enough to beat Turkey (6-0) in Limoges.

The four group winners and three best second-place teams qualified for Poland.

Latvia (4-2), Israel (3-3) and Bulgaria (4-4) each finished second in their respective groups and progressed. Latvia had the best winning percentage of the second-place teams while Israel (1.0488) and Bulgaria (1.0485) had better goal differential in all of their games than France (1.0313).

Turkey got 16 points and six rebounds from center Fatih Solak, and Kerem Tunçeri poured in 13 - many of them in the fourth quarter when the game was decided.

The door is still open for France to reach the EuroBasket, but they will have to win a place via the Additional Qualifying Round next August.

They will compete against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Portugal, Finland and Belgium.

The Belgians were involved in the other Group C game in Ukraine and they prevailed 76-58. Axel Hervelle played in his first game for the Belgians in qualifying this summer and had 17 points and seven rebounds.

In Group A, Serbia had already clinched first place heading into their game at Bulgaria and won for a seventh time this summer, 87-77.

Bulgaria, as mentioned earlier, still booked a place at the EuroBasket.

In the other Group A game, Finland snatched a place in the AQR with an 88-73 home success against Hungary.

Portugal capped a remarkable turnaround by winning for a third straight time after opening qualifying with three successive defeats.

They upset Latvia in Portugal, 93-92, with Miguel Miranda's three-pointer sealing the win six seconds from the end.

FYR of Macedonia took advantage at home by thrashing Estonia 87-75 to leapfrog Latvia into top spot in Group B and seal their first EuroBasket place.

Amazing scenes unfolded in Tel Aviv where Israel also finished 3-3 in Group D after a 98-61 demolition of the Czech Republic.

The huge margin of victory allowed Zvi Sherf's team to improve its goal differential and take one of the best second-place spots for EuroBasket qualification.

Bosnia and Herzegovina also won at home over Great Britain, 89-80, to finish third but they had to settle for a place in the Additional Qualifying Round.

Britain, who rested Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng, had already clinched first place with a midweek win at the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine and Estonia will all play in the Relegation Round.

FIBA