Belgium vs Slovenia final score: Meesseman scores 18 in tough 72-67 win

The Belgian Cats are still alive! Not just in Women’s EuroBasket, but also with their Olympic hopes!

Belgium defeated Slovenia 72-67 in the quarterfinals qualifier behind Julie Allemand’s 25 points and Emma Meesseman’s 18 points.

Things started off pretty rocky in the first quarter after Slovenia was leading 20-10, but Allemand was a powerhouse keeping Belgium in the game as much as possible. Adding four rebounds and three assists, Allemand kept her teammates involved leading a 18-3 run to push them up 34-32 at the half.

Catch one of Allemand’s nice assists here.

Along with 18 points, Meesseman grabbed nine rebounds and five assists. Kim Mestdagh dropped 13 points and 11 rebounds, nine of them defensive in the Belgium victory. With under a minute, Belgium needed a basket that would put them back in the lead after being down 65-63. Allemand was the woman for the job as she drained this three to the lead.

A down fall that still has not been fixed is a decent bench which only scored eight points. In that aspect, that means the starters can’t sit long to rest and if Belgium doesn’t get sufficient rest then it’ll be a hard run for them in EuroBasket.

The Belgian Cats face France on Thursday, July 4 at 12 p.m. ET. Mystics fans will even see a former familiar face in Bria Hartley as she plays for France. If you’ve read this site for awhile, you’ll also be quick to remember that this plays was when she made her mark in the WNBA.