Women’s Olympic Basketball Match Report: Magbegor & McGowan Points, Australia-France Narrowly Advances to the Next Round

Match Report
On August 5th, in the early hours of the morning, the Women’s Basketball Group Stage match at the Paris Olympics saw France women’s basketball facing off against Australia women’s basketball. In the first quarter, Magbegor scored with a layup, followed by a counterattack by Melbourne, leading to a 4-0 start for Australia. Forte hit a mid-range shot for France’s first point, and Smith scored four consecutive points, giving Australia an 8-4 lead. France quickly adjusted their strategy, staying close to the score. Badia Ne scored under the basket, leaving France trailing 10-12. Whitcomb made a three-pointer, and McGowan converted both free throws, allowing Australia to lead by 7 points. The pace of the game was fast, and France then surged, with Michelle making a three-pointer, leading to a 7-2 run, ending the first quarter with France trailing 17-19.

In the second quarter, Johannes scored first with a breakaway shot, followed by Whitcomb making both free throws as a response. Tololo made two quick fast-breaks, prompting a timeout from France. After the timeout, Williams scored on a put-back, and Michelle made a fast-break score, bringing the score to 27-all. Both teams continued to trade points, with Bayen scoring two free throws, allowing France to take the lead for the first time. The teams then alternated missed shots, resulting in a halftime tie at 34-all.

The third quarter saw Salom scoring first with a mid-range shot, and Smith responding with a basket under the hoop. The teams continued to play closely matched games, with Talbot hitting a three-pointer, and Ayai quickly responding. Bayen scored under the basket, and Magbegor quickly added four more points, giving Australia a 47-46 lead. After a timeout, Magbegor scored again, while McGowan hit back-to-back three-pointers, increasing Australia’s lead to 55-48. France’s offense and defense were struggling, with Australia leading by 9 points, concluding the third quarter with a score of 59-50 in favor of Australia.

In the final quarter, Talbot came out with an elbow strike to Michelle’s face, causing her to leave the court, resulting in boos from the crowd. Whitcomb scored first with a floater, followed by Schilling hitting a three-pointer. France suddenly surged, with Lacan hitting another three-pointer, reducing the deficit to just 5 points. McGowan made a crucial lay-up to stop the bleeding, and George hit a three-pointer, restoring a 6-point lead for Australia, which increased to 72-64 after Magbegor made both free throws with only 2 minutes left. Williams made a critical three-pointer, reducing the deficit to 5 points, followed by Johannes hitting another three-pointer, bringing the score to 70-74 with only 33 seconds left. Australia managed to hold onto their lead, eventually defeating France and advancing along with France and Nigeria to the next round. China’s women’s basketball team, however, was eliminated.

Player Statistics
Australia Women’s Basketball: McGowan with 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist; Magbegor with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal; Whitcomb with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals; Smith with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals; George with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals; Talbot with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals; Tololo with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal; Melburne with 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist; Atwell with 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist.
France Women’s Basketball: Williams with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal; Johannes with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists; Ayai with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist; Badia Ne with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist; Michelle with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist; Rupert with 5 points, 3 rebounds; Lacan with 5 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal; Salom with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal; Bernise with 4 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal; Chatero with 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists; Fortux with 2 points, 2 rebounds; Malonga with 2 rebounds.

Player Rosters
Australia’s starting lineup: Magbegor, Melbourne, Smith, Talbot, Whitcomb
France’s starting lineup: Forte, Ayai, Salom, Williams, Bayen