France were the first team to make the quarter-finals of the Olympic Qualifiers in Nantes last night and on day three, the final day of group action, seven other nations would join them.
Group A
Two free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining from Marlen Capeda handed Cuba a narrow 64-62 win over New Zealand in the final game of Group A.
The win sends Cuba through to the last eight with hosts France, sending the New Zealanders home.
Oyanaisy Gelis led the way for Cuba with a team-high 16 points.
Group B
Turkey raced into an early first quarter lead and never looked back as they blitzed Cameroon 72-46 in the final game of the day.
The Turks led 20-8 and were rarely troubled as Lara Sanders led a well balanced stack with 12 points.
Turkey advanced to the last eight along with Argentina.
Group C
Korea sent shockwaves across the women’s international basketball fraternity by edging the mighty Belarus 66-65.
A basket from Jisu Park with 2:20 left proved to be the last points of the game as both teams qualified from Group B leaving Nigeria out in the cold.
Park led the Koreans with a double-double of 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Group D
Spain eased to an 83-55 win over Venezuela to finish unbeaten and send them into the quarter-finals.
Leonor Rodriguez led the Spanish with 24 points as they held the South Americans to just seven points in the first quarter, leading by double-digits early and never looking back.
The loss eliminates Venezuela which sends China through to the last eight with Spain.
