Bosnia stopped by France in FIBA Women EuroBasket quarter-finals

Although they opened the game well, the Bosnians did not manage to maintain the lead they had during the larger parts of the first half.

The French will face Belarus in the semi-finals, and Bosnians will resume the competition for their final ranking in the tournament and the qualifiers for the 2022 World Championship.

Head coach Goran Lojo said he was proud of the efforts the players showed against France. He also thanked all the fans for their support.

“Greetings to all supporters in BiH and abroad. Especially those who were supporting us here in France. We encountered problems prior to this game. Marica Gajic could not play due to a leg injury. We showed strong resistance against great France and proved we can play against anyone. We matured as a team. Let's try to win against Sweden on Saturday,” said Lojo, announcing the next match that the Bosnian national team will play.

Addressing the media following the game, team member Melisa Brcaninovic said she was proud she and her teammates showed unity during the game and did not surrender.

“We showed we have a big heart although we're a small country, we were fighting until the end and we thank everyone for the support. See you in Valencia, where we hope for the win against Sweden and qualifying for the World Championship,” she added.

The best among Bosnian players was Jonquel Jones with 29 points scored, while Marine Johannes and Sandrine Gruda were the best in the French team with 15 points each.

Advancing from the group stage and reaching the quarter-finals in an international competition was the best success that the Bosnian women's national team has ever made.