Portugal’s U18 women’s basketball team ran into a powerhouse this Wednesday. They faced France, the reigning champions, in the European Championship Round of 16. The final score of 86-39 saw France comfortably advance. This means Portugal will now compete for spots 9 through 16 in the tournament.
The young Portuguese squad knew they had a monumental task ahead. France showed why they hold the title, dominating the game from start to finish. Alicia Tournebize led the French charge with 14 points and 12 rebounds. For Portugal, Ana Alves managed to hit double digits, scoring 10 points in a difficult contest.
Before reaching the knockout stage, Portugal had a rough run in Group B. They lost all three of their group games. These included a narrow 47-50 loss to Latvia. They also fell 42-48 against Hungary, and 49-79 to Belgium. The group stage was mainly for seeding purposes. It simply ranked the 16 teams for the elimination rounds.
Despite their group stage struggles, Portugal started their fourth game strong. They surprised France early on, taking leads of 5-0, 7-2, and even 9-4. This initial spark gave fans a moment of hope. However, France quickly turned up their defensive pressure. They unleashed a dominant 15-0 run. This surge gave France a 19-9 lead, and they never looked back.
France swept Group A with three wins of their own. They held a comfortable lead after the first quarter. They were up by 10 points, 24-14. The second quarter was even more lopsided. France outscored Portugal 20-8, extending their lead to 22 points at halftime (44-22). The second half saw no let-up from the French side. They won the third quarter 18-7, stretching their advantage to 33 points, 62-29. The final quarter mirrored the rest, with France winning it 24-10. This brought their total winning margin to a commanding 47 points.