Belgium on the way to Toulouse in 2010

In Belgium the youth international basketball system has been revamped since Arvid Diels took over the role of senior national coach of the women's team.

He is still involved with the youth set-up and played a number of youth internationals during Belgium's EuroBasket 2009 qualification campaign.

The primary objective for Belgium was qualification for the U17 World Championship. This was achieved by beating Greece (74-60) in the first quarter-final match.

Emma Meesseman (left) was the star of the match for Belgium with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. But it was her battle with Artemis Spanou that was more impressive than her statistics.

Spanou did score 18 points and came away with 14 rebounds. Yet this was not to be enough for Greece to take the victory.

The match itself was not a classical youth international basketball match in terms of excitement. It was a technical match with both teams sticking to pre-defined systems.

Greece had problems containing Emma Meesseman during the first period but managed to stop Julie Vanloo from scoring.

Greece started the game well and led (8-4) early. However a trey by Lien Delmulle, quickly followed by 2 more points by Meesseman, set Belgium on their way.

A shot from beyond the arc by Heleen Adams and 2 points by Lien Delmulle completed the Belgium 13-2 run.

Belgium then had the upper hand and won the first quarter (20-14).

Greece were a little dazed by the 3 blocks from Meesseman in the first period. They changed their approach during the second period and kept Belgium scoreless for five minutes.

However Greece were not really able to take advantage as they only scored 2 points themselves.

Daniel Goethals was not very happy and called for a time-out. His team finally started scoring again and went into the interval with a 7-0 that ended with a three-pointer by Delmulle (31-22).

Belgium did not waste much time in finding their way to the basket in the third period and stretched the lead to 15 points (45-30) after a trey from Vanloo (right in white).

Greece were on the back foot and with only Elisavet Politopoulou (right in blue) and Spanou causing problems offensively, they were unable to reduce the deficit as the game went into the final quarter (37-51).

The last period was typical U16 youth international basketball with the teams trading basket for basket for the whole 10 minutes as defense was thrown out of the window.

Belgium were never in any kind of problems and managed to give everybody a chance to get on the court as they went on to win.

Russia required overtime to beat hosts

Italy had played some great games at this championship but this match against Russia was played at another level.

This match was simply youth international basketball at its best.

There was a high number of turnovers but this wass to be expected with the risks players took. Three-pointers were not many but the intensity was high.

Ksenia Tikhonenko top scored for Russia with 20 points and took 14 rebounds. Galina Kiseleva followed up with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

For Italy Alessandra Formica (left) returned to action and scored 13 points. Caterina Dotto had 13 points and also dished out 5 assists.

The first period was end to end basketball with neither team able to dominate for long. Italy led (18-17) after the first period.

The two teams were still level (22-22) with three minutes played in the second period.

Italy managed to score 6 unanswered points for the first break of the match but Russia hit back with a 6-0 run.

Kiseleva (below right), who was the catalyst for the Russian attack, continued to cause mayhem in the Italian defense as Russia ended the quarter with a 7-0 run to lead (37-30) at the interval.

Italy came out stronger after the break and opened the scoring with a trey from Caterina Dotto.

Dotto was then everywhere for Italy as her side regained the lead. However the loudest cheer was given to Formica (44-40).

Yet Russia managed to wrestle the lead back (47-46) as the game entered the fourth quarter.

The last period was up and down for both teams with bodies flying all over the place. Neither side was able to control the game.

Russia led (60-59) with 21 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Italy had to wait until 8 seconds were left before Dotto went on a charge to the basket.

She was fouled but only split the pair. The Russian coach Anna Arkhipova Von Kalmanovich had called for a time-out to set up the last play for Russia.

Her players failed to execute the play and Stella Panella made an interception. She managed to get the ball to Elettra Ferretti whose lay-up failed to drop. Hence the game went into overtime (60-60).

The fifth quarter was dull in comparison to what had been played earlier. But once again it had a dramatic finish when Dotto had the chance to win the game for Italy with the last shot of the game.

It was a difficult baseline jumper that rimmed out. While Russia celebrated Dotto was complaining with the officials because she felt she had been fouled.

France and Turkey playing for one hour

For the neutrals, this match was what youth international basketball is all about, plenty of passion and 60 minutes of agony for the coaches.

France beat Turkey (88-96) in a game that required four overtimes. Both teams had a bad time from the free-throw line: France went 12-for-29 while Turkey were 19-from-43.

Özge Kavurmacioglu from Turkey played for the full 60 minutes. She did most of her scoring during the first 40 minutes. She also picked up 13 rebounds.

Olcay Cakir scored 19 points, picked up 11 rebounds and dished out 11 assists but went 4-of-11 from the free-throw line.

France were led by Jodie Cornelie with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Turkey started to miss free-throws right from he start of the game but dominated France in other sectors to lead (18-12) after the first period.

France spent all the second quarter chasing the game and went in the interval trailing by only 4 points(34-38) thanks to a buzzer-ending trey by Laure Mercier.

The game continued in the same manner. France drew level on two occasions. But it was Turkey that had the advantage going into the fourth period (53-49).

Turkey appeared to be heading for victory as they led (64-54) with four minutes left to play in regulation time.

France then went on a three-point shooting spree started by Esther Niamke and ended by Cornelie. So France drew level (65-65).

Turkey went back in front but France was saved at the end by Cornelie who picked up an offensive rebound from a French three-point attempt to take the game into overtime (68-68).

center Missed free-throws but good three-point shooting

The first five minutes of overtime were tough and both sides still had energy. Once again Turkey thought that they had won the game with a baseline three-point jump shot from Kavurmacioglu.

However with the clock running down, Mercier fired in a trey for France (78-78).

The tempo went down and France looked to have done enough to win the game in the second overtime only for Cakir to take the game into triple overtime (86-86).

The third overtime was a case of missed free-throws for both sides with the roles reversed again with Cornelie from France forcing overtime.

By the final period the players were exhausted and France took the lead for good (95-94) off a three-pointer by Margaux Galliou. They held on to win (99-96).

Galliou finished up with 18 points and 9 rebounds for France.

France as hosts for the U17 championship have already qualified for the World Championship so Turkey now have to finish 5th to qualify.