Evan Fournier (R) of France vies for the ball with Victor Liz of Dominican Republic during the group G match at the FIBA World Cup 2019 in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, Sept. 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- France breezed past the Dominican Republic 90-56 in their final Group G game at the FIBA World Cup, heading into the second round with three wins from three here on Thursday.
Andrew Albicy paced France's balanced attack, with four players scoring double figures. Player of the Match Nando de Colo led France with 15 points, while Rudy Gobert contributed a near double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds. Victor Liz scored a team-high 12 points for the Dominican Republic.
France displayed phenomenal outside prowess, shooting nine out of 18 three-pointers, and showed an impressive range of passing for a huge 25-11 advantage in the assists department.
The Dominican Republic battled mightily to close the gap in the second quarter, but France unleashed a searing 15-3 run to lead by 43-21 going into the half-time break.
The Dominicans found their attacking rhythm in the third quarter, but Les Blues were never seriously threatened.
Despite losing the game, the Dominican Republic still joins France in the tournament's second round as Group G runner-up.
"We valued this match and prepared for it obsessively. And we are looking forward to the tough game against Australia and Lithuania," said France coach Vincent Collet.
