MUNICH (Germany) – In a low-scoring affair in Charleroi, Belgium, Belgium scored just 19 points in the first half, but coach Dario Kjerja found a hero in Pierre-Antoine Guillot, whose three points led the Lions to a memorable victory. FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Champions.
The final score, 58-53, sent Belgium to 2-0 in Group C, while title holders Spain dropped to 0-2 after the first window of FIBA EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers.
Turning point: Spain opened up a 10-point lead early in the second half, harassing Belgium with their physical defense and contesting everything from beyond the arc. But when Gillette made another three-pointer to put Belgium back in the game, the crowd began to believe an upset was possible.
The teams went back and forth from that point until the end. When it came time to break the deadlock, razor-sharp Gillette shooting made the difference, as Redtin Obasohan's drives combined with another big three-pointer made it a six-point game with less than 30 seconds to play.
The continental champions never recovered from that deficit.
Game Hero: Redtin Obasogan led the way with 19 points, but shot just 6-of-16 from the field. That's why it's important to have someone with a hot shooting hand to help him attack, and Gillette delivers.
The Filou Oostende star finished with 15 points, hitting 3-of-7 from deep, which felt like 7-of-7 in a game with low shooting percentages on both sides. In Belgium the equation is always the same: Gjerja training + Pierre-Antoine guillotine shooting = success.
The statistics don't lie: Spain's 16 turnovers weren't that bad, but 10 of them were Belgium steals, meaning they had a wide open area to operate from and a 12-1 edge in turnover points.
Bottom line: Belgium are living their dream of qualifying again, a 2-0 start to top the group next to Latvia.
Meanwhile, Sergio Scariolo and Spain will all have work to do when they return in November. Dario Brizuela's 14-point effort will go in vain for the defending champions, who must go 2-0 in a doubleheader against Slovakia in the next window.
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FIBA