France rips NZ, faces Turkey in semis

Games tomorrow (MOA Arena)

6:30 p.m. – Canada vs New Zealand

9 p.m. – France vs Turkey

MANILA, Philippines - Turkey’s Dev Adam, still mourning the death of a score of people in a terror attack back home a few days back, got some soothing feeling as they held off Team Senegal, 68-62, to claim the last semifinals berth in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the MOA Arena in Pasay City last night.

Naturalized guard Ali Muhammed made a huge turnaround from a one-point performance in their 69-77 loss to Canada, erupting for 23 points, including 15 in the payoff period, to propel the Turks to the semis with the Canadians, France’s Les Bleus and New Zealand’s Tall Blacks.

Team France overcame a horrendous shooting in the first three quarters, hitting its strides in the final period to overcome a 13-point deficit in a 66-59 win over New Zealand later in the night.

Thus, it’s France versus Turkey and New Zealand opposite Canada in the semifinals tomorrow. The winners clash in the finale on Sunday.

Senegal was relegated to the sidelines with Gilas Pilipinas.

Starting center Semih Erden, second-string slotman Omer Asik and team skipper Sinan Guler also played key roles as the Turks fended off their African foes to keep alive their hopes of gaining a first Olympic passage in six decades.

Turkey is ranked No. 8 in the world but has never been into the Olympics since their second and last in 1952 in Helsinki. Their previous Olympic stint was in Berlin in 1936.

They stayed on course for a possible Rio Games backdoor entry – thanks to a big part on their naturalized guard, previously known as Bobby Dixon.

The Chicago, Illinois native, twice champion and twice MVP in the Turkish League, got into the groove in the fourth quarter and personally thwarted Senegal’s upset bid.

He laced his 23-point game with 8-of-8 charities and also collected seven rebounds, four assists and one steal, tearing to shreds Senegal’s defense at the finish.

Muhammed drained three triples, the biggest being the last one he made as they stared at a shaky 63-60 lead in the final minute of play.

For Senegal, a big blow was the exit on fouls by center Hamady Ndiaye with 8:22 left to play.

Nineteen turnovers and 30 free throws yielded to their opponents also weighed on the Senegalese, missing a shot at a fourth Olympic stint after the 1968 Games in Mexico, 1972 in Munich and 1980 in Moscow.

The scores:

First Game

Turkey 68 – Muhammed 23, Erden 14, Guler 8, Mahmutoglu 8, Asik 7, Korkmaz 5, Batuk 3, Savas 0, Geyik 0, Sipahi 0.

Senegal 62 – Ndoye M. 15, Ndour 14, Mendy 11, Niang 8, Hannah 6, Ndiaye E. 2, Mbodj 2, Ndiaye H. 2, Gueye 2, Ndoye A. 0, Thomas 0, Adams 0.

Quarterscores: 10-11, 33-23, 46-43, 68-62

Second Game

France 66 – Gelabale 11, Tillie 10, Diaw 10, Heurtel 7, Lauvergne 7, De Colo 7, Parker 6, Kahudi 4, Diot 2, Pietrus 2, Moerman 0.

New Zealand 59 – Webster C. 21, Webster TJ 9, Fotu 8, Loe 6, Abercrombie 6, Ili 4, Bartlett 3, Vukona 2, Anthony 0, Ngatai 0.