The Blues confirm their place in the next round

After the standoff on Friday night in SombathelyThe Blues have received reinforcements, with two Euroleague players (Eli Okobo and Jaylen Hoard) joining the group in the French outfit’s transfer to Sartre. In any case, these 48 hours benefited the most Freddie Faut and his men who won much more easily in Antares against Hungary (98-79).

New Amen (21 points) et Elie Okobo (18 points, 5 assists) were the main French fireworks, doc Sylvain Francisco (17 points, 4 assists) also assumed his role as a leader in this French group with variable geometry. With this third success in four qualifying matches, the Blues top their group, level with Finland, and now qualify for the next round of 2027 World Cup qualifiers as Belgium were eliminated…

Then we will have to finish in the top three in the group consisting of France, Finland, Hungary and the three best teams in Group H (Slovenia, Estonia, Czech Republic and Sweden).

Warm-up blues from the start

Unlike the first match, on Friday in Hungary, the Blues hit Le Mans. Adam Mokoka scores the first 6 points for France, and if Giorgi Golovan will knock down the French racket well, it is the French who play their basketball, and Eli Okobo and Sylvain Francisco are skilled from long range. In this case, the Blues scored a convincing 5/9 behind the arc in the first quarter, with only 5 turnovers, which allowed them to take their first significant deficit after the first ten minutes of the game (25-16).

Collective automatisms are much better at home. And with good reason, to return to Le Mans where he trained, Petr Cornelie comes out of his box and improvises his dunk contest on his old floor, with two alley-oops and a big two-handed dunk! This inside presence is welcome, and Amine Noua is also keeping pace from the first match. The deficit grew to +20 in the second quarter, and it remained at halftime (55-35), led by an impeccable Sylvain Francisco from a distance, a three-pointer 4/4. At 9/15 in the long-range shooting practice, the Blues eased into the match, with a pass/turnover ratio finally worthy of the name (12-6).

Sluggishness in the 3rd quarter

The third quarter was the only black spot of the night, with 17-9 Hungary tried to close in the first five minutes of the second half. The French defenders are holding well, Mokok in the lead, Zoltan Perl (then only 6 points at 3/7) will gradually find the light while Gasper Okorn, the Hungarian technician, uses the zone defense to disrupt France. It works for a while and Hungary get back under 10 points but Benjamin Sene and Akel Bouteille allow them to go back in front. Quarter time is well and truly lost (24-19), but the margin is still comfortable going into the last series (74-59).

Less aggressive defensively, the Blues still regained momentum in attack and finished the match correctly, like Yves Pons who punished from a distance, and soon they imitated Nou and Mokoko in the same corner at the end of the 4th quarter. With only 5 turnovers in the second half and a very nice 55% success rate (17/31) on 3-pointers, the French team managed the ball circulation and collective balance better and offered themselves a logical victory, on the back foot more in line with the current Olympic runner-up status. France could have even reached the symbolic mark of 100 scored points if it wasn’t for Bouteil’s 3-point shot (98-79).

The next international window will open on July 3rd … with hopes of landing several NBA players, including potentially Victor Vembanyama, unless the Spurs’ playoff campaign drags on.