France managed to overcome Bosnia and Herzegovina with some difficulty, with a final score of 74:64 in the second round of qualifiers for EuroBasket 2025.
Dzanan Musa opened the scoring in this encounter. His teammate from Real Madrid, Guerschon Yabusele, responded on the other end. They then exchanged three-pointers, Cordinier and Musa. The anticipated spectacle in Tuzla didn’t quite materialize, but Bosnia and Herzegovina led for a while. Towards the end of the first quarter, the French attack stalled, and Bosnia’s defense seemed a bit confused. Kenan Kamenjas capitalized on a pick-and-roll play, bringing the team to a six-point lead. However, the Olympic runners-up showcased their quality and gained the advantage after three-pointers from Strazel and Francisco.
Edin Atic made some nice plays at the start of the second quarter, while Nadir Hifi and Damien Inglis also had their moments. There weren’t many points scored; midway through the second quarter, the score was tied at 22:22. Andy Albicy made a significant contribution, putting France ahead by four points. After 20 slow-paced minutes, the score stood at 34:32 in favor of the visitors.
We picked up where we left off. Numerous mistakes on both sides and a stagnant period for Bosnia and Herzegovina characterized the start of the second half. Trouble arose when Amar Alibegovic committed his fourth personal foul. Adis Beciragic’s players made many mistakes, and France capitalized on them. They extended their lead to plus 11 after Vincent Poirier’s dunks. The hosts managed to slightly regroup after a crazy shot by Musa and reduced the deficit to 49:41. This quarter was interesting, and Gegic hit an incredible three-pointer at the end, making it 57:48.
Gegic continued his momentum with a fantastic dunk in transition. Edin Atic then scored with a foul, followed by a turnover by Francisco for not advancing the ball within eight seconds. Adin Vrabac then hit a shot to bring the deficit to minus three, prompting Vincent Collet to call a timeout. The French team regrouped and widened the gap to two possessions again. Bosnia lost their composure a bit, with Alibegovic and Gegic fouling out. Both teams became increasingly frustrated with the referee’s decisions. The Real Madrid duo, Yabusele-Poirier, combined for seven crucial points.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Vincent Poirier contributed 13 points. Dzanan Musa scored 15 points, and Edin Atic had 13 points. France will play their next game against Cyprus, while Bosnia and Herzegovina will face Croatia in a Balkan derby.
Venue: Mejdan, Tuzla
Referees: Castillo, Baki, Zapolski
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA-FRANCE 74:64 (15:16, 18:17, 23:16, 17:16)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Musa 15, Atic 13, Kamenjas 11, Gegic 7, Lazic 7, Alibegovic 4, Penava 2, Vrabac 2, Loncar.
France: Yabusele 16, Poirier 13, Strazel 11, Albicy, Lacombe 10,Cordinier 9, Francisco 4, Luwawu-Cabarrot 4, Hifi 2, Hoard 2, Inglis 2.