After weak brother Puerto Rico, the Belgian Cats were faced with a tougher chunk on Friday with the United States, without doubt the strongest basketball country in the world.
The American women are the reigning world champions, also took gold at the Olympics last summer and have not lost an official competition since 2006.
However, Belgium was not without a chance in advance, because the US did not come with its strongest team. Of the team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo, there were still 3 players on the field in Washington on Friday, although the rest of the team still consisted of clappers who make the beautiful weather in the WNBA.
Initially it was a bit of a struggle with the renewed US and Belgium could take advantage of this to keep pace in the 1st quarter. But then Team USA shifted up a gear in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, helped by too many ball losses on the Belgian side.
The US made a total of 21 points after Belgian loss of the ball, the difference in points on the fast-break was also significant: 2 for Belgium, 16 for the American women. The maximum lead of the world champion: 23 points.
National coach Demory, who rotated a lot, asked for more aggressiveness and was served at his beck and call in the last 10 minutes of the game. Relying on a strong tandem Ben Abdelkader-Meesseman, who had the help of a sharp Lisowa, the Cats closed with a difference of less than 10 points: 75-84.
That defeat has no consequences for the World Cup chances of the Belgians, who can almost certainly pack their bags after the big win against Puerto Rico. Even with a loss against Russia on Sunday, miracles have to happen to keep the Belgian Cats away from their 2nd World Cup in a row.
Belgium: Ben Abdelkader 17, Meesseman 15, Linskens 9, Lisowa Mbaka 9, Massey 8, Allemand 6, Resimont 5, Delaere 4, Geldof 2
