FRA - French star sets sights on gold

NOVI SAD (FIBA U19 World Championship) - France center Alexis Ajinca was left dreaming of gold in the FIBA U19 World Championship following his side's 98-73 thrashing of Brazil in Group A on Friday.

With France having also won their opening pool match, against Lithuania 85-82 on Thursday, they have already sealed their passage through to the knockout stages of the competition.

And Ajinca revealed Les Bleuets, who are the current European Champions, have world glory in the sights as well.

"We are a good generation and we have gold medal in our heads," he said.

"We will do everything we can to get there."

Richard Billant's youngsters put on a much-improved performance against their Brazilian counterparts, compared to their rusty display against Lithuania.

All-action Edwin Jackson was again France's go-to man, the power-forward adding 24 points to the 25-point haul he claimed against the eastern Europeans 24 hours earlier.

His contribution included 13 straight points around the turn of the first quarter and start of the second quarter that blew Brazil away.

He was assisted by team-mate and captain Nicolas Batum (13 points and seven rebounds).

The French coped admirably with the threat of Brazil dangerman Paulao Prestes, who was restricted to 17 points - although that was a team-high haul.

Les Bleuets were outmuscled in the rebounding stakes against Lithuania, losing 37-30 in that department on Thursday, but Ajinca felt his team put the record straight against the South Americans.

"Richard (Billant) had insisted at the briefing about the importance of the rebounds," the Hyeres-Toulon ace, who pulled down three of France's 34 total boards, told www.basketfrance.com.

"We had been wiped out there yesterday. Therefore it was the most important thing in this match.

"We didn't start that well at all but then we controlled Paulao better.

"He knows perfectly well how to help himself with his physique and it is difficult to block him. But by the end, I think we did it.

"I noticed that when I made an important rebound or I made a block, it allowed us to quickly get us going.

"That helped us enormously and the guys were more reassured, even if I would have liked to have been able to do more offensively," added Ajinca, who scored two points.

Steve Douglas
FIBA