After their very large victory in the round of 16 against Madagascar in the round of 16 on Wednesday (119-56), the Bleuets largely dominated Serbia on Friday in the quarter-finals (98-59). In the semi-finals, they will face the United States, defending champions, this Saturday.
Aggressive in defense, always present in the racket, more precise in shooting, the French dominated the Serbs from the first quarter (27-17). They then continued to widen the gap in the second (29-10) and third quarters (27-12), before conceding the last (15-20).
Best player in the competition so far (15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists on average), Zacharie Perrin was once again brilliant, as evidenced by his first half after which he already compiled 16 points at 8/8 on shots, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, for 31 evaluation in 14 minutes.
Melvin Ajinca, winner of the best young player trophy in Pro B with Saint-Quentin this season, was the top scorer on the blue side with 23 points (and 4 rebounds). Zaccharie Risacher, announced in the top 5 of the 2024 NBA draft, was more discreet in attack (9 points) but stood out in defense with 5 interceptions.
On Saturday, we can expect a completely different match against the Americans, who have won four of the last five editions since 2013. The last meeting between France and the United States dates back to 2021. At the time, the Blueberries, who had a certain Victor Wembanyama in their ranks, had narrowly lost (83-81).
2023-06-30 21:05:40
#Les #Bleuets #join #United #States #semifinals #U19 #World #Cup
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/MOVKNSF7KX7I5FNFXFG7MLTQPE.jpg "Alan Arkin, Acclaimed Character Actor and Oscar Winner, Dies at 89")