France rallies past Czech Republic to reach semis

Published November 20, 2014

Celine Dumerc scored 23 points, including a big three-pointer with over a minute remaining, to help France rally past the Czech Republic, 71-68, in the quarterfinals of the women's Olympic basketball tournament on Tuesday.

Endene Miyem added 14 points and five rebounds for France, which will play Russia in the semifinals on Thursday.

Eva Viteckova had 17 points to lead the Czech Republic, which went 2-3 in the preliminary round. Ilona Burgrova tallied 16 points and six boards.

Trailing 55-44 with 8:26 to play, France went on a 13-4 run to cut into the deficit. Dumerc's three-pointer cut the gap to 59-57 with 5:19 left.

France kept it close down the stretch and took a 67-65 edge on Dumerc's three- pointer with 1:05 remaining.

Hana Horakova turned the ball over on the Czech Republic's next possession, leading to Miyem's putback layup with 29.2 seconds to go.

After Katerina Elhotova made a free throw for the Czech Republic, Miyem made two shots from the charity stripe to give France a 71-66 lead.

Burgrova made a layup at the other end, but France ran out the final 12 seconds to secure a spot in the semis.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/france-rallies-past-czech-republic-to-reach-semis