FRA/ESP – France set the record straight

KATOWICE (EuroBasket Women 2011) - One of the roads to the London Olympics goes through Poland where the EuroBasket Women is being staged and there has been no shortage of drama in Katowice and Bydgoszcz this week.

While Montenegro and Latvia punched their tickets to the Quarter-Finals with wins over Croatia and Poland on Wednesday, France took their game to new heights with a fourth-quarter demolition of Spain.

All three of the sides that tasted victory on the opening day of Round 2 action would be content to leave Poland with a place in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women assured.

The expectations in France are no doubt much greater, though, with fans believing their team has a chance to defend their European title.

Wednesday’s events will fuel hopes of a gold-medal finish.

Beaten by Spain in overtime last year in the FIBA World Championship for Women Quarter-Finals, France’s players have been on a mission to set the record straight since the draw, when it was apparent the two sides would meet in Round 2.

In a very, very close game that had numerous lead changes, the French went on a 16-0 run late in third quarter and ended up blowing out their adversaries, 79-55.

Was revenge on the minds of the French players?

"Yes," said Endene Miyem (pictured), who scored 16 points.

"We remembered last year when we played against them at the FIBA World Championship and they beat us.

"We didn´t forget it."

More important for coach Pierre Vincent was the approach his players took when the game hung in the balance.

"The type of play that I want to see from my players, I saw in the final quarter," he said.

"I want my players to move the ball outside and move the ball much more to give more balance to our offense.

"We have a strong inside game but we don´t want to play just inside.

"I want my players to take more risks and I believe they did today (Wednesday)."

On Thursday, Russia's players will have revenge on their minds, too, when they take on Belarus.

Last year in the FIBA World Championship for Women Quarter-Finals, Belarus not only upset Russia but thrashed them, 70-53.

France didn't forget their loss to Spain and Russia haven't pushed the defeat to Belarus to the back of their minds, either.

"Everybody knows that we lost to Belarus last year in the FIBA World Championship and we were only seventh place," Russia's Liudmila Sapova said.

"Now we want to prove that was only one game and take revenge for that."

Another unexpected development has been the fine start of the Czech Republic, who seem to be coping well without last year's FIBA World Championship for Women MVP Hana Horakova.

With Horakova electing to rest this summer, her national team is 3-0 going into Thursday's game against Turkey.

It is a battle between the side that hosted last year's FIBA World Championship, the Czechs, and the country that will host the event in 2014, Turkey.

Great Britain and Lithuania will square off in Thursday's other Group E game in Bydgoszcz.

The Brits are the only team at the EuroBasket Women to have a place locked up at the London Games.

They were given a thumbs-up on their participation as the host nation by the FIBA Central Board in March.

FIBA