Belgian Cats all but assured of EuroBasket qualification after win over Azerbaijan
The Belgian Cats beat Azerbaijan 97-24 on Thursday night. Thanks to Lithuania's win over Poland, the Belgian national women's basketball team is all but guaranteed a ticket to the EuroBasket Women tournament in June.
Thursday night was the fifth and penultimate matchday for the Belgian women's basketball team in the European Championship qualifiers in Ostend. The defending European champions needed to beat Azerbaijan and hope for a Lithuanian win over Poland to book their place in the tournament.
Belgium's dream came true. The Cats narrowly missed the 100-point mark, beating Azerbaijan 97-24. And while Lithuania-Poland was a closer affair, the Lithuanians' 72-69 victory means that the top two spots in Belgium's group are set in stone.
Belgium's qualification is not a complete certainty yet. They still have to play Lithuania on Sunday to decide who will top the group and secure a direct spot in the EuroBasket Women group stage. But even if the Cats lose, their qualification is all but assured thanks to their +190 points differential.
Successful debut
The game was also a successful debut for new national coach Mike Thibault, who was hired in January to replace Rachid Meziane. "It was a really good first week," Julie Vanloo told Sporza. "He is a very calm person and is ready and clear about what he expects from us."
Thibault himself was full of praise for the Cats. "I like my team a lot and I am ready to take the next step with them," Thibault said. "Starting against Lithuania on Sunday, a totally different and physically much stronger team."
"I like my team a lot and I am ready to take the next step with them"
The European Championship will be held from 18 to 29 June in Bologna, Italy; Brno, Czech Republic; Hamburg, Germany; and Piraeus, Greece. Belgium won the last edition in 2023 after beating Spain in the final.
© BELGA PHOTO VIRGINIE LEFOUR
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