Host Germany beats Belgium 93-74 to storm into women’s FIBA World Cup semifinals, France awaits

BERLIN (AP) — Buoyed by ecstatic home fans, host Germany upset Belgium 93-74 to reach the semifinals of the women’s FIBA World Cup on Thursday.

Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Germany to a showdown with France on Saturday. Nyara Sabally also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

It’s the sixth straight World Cup at which the host has made the final four since China failed to make the semifinals in 2002.

Egged on by fervent commentary from the venue announcer, fans cheered, jumped and waved Germany flags at the Berlin Arena to help the home team keep its momentum going after it lost its opening game by 30 points to Spain.

Germany bounced back with impressive wins over Japan and Mali before routing South Korea in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals.

Belgium, the European champion, was one of three teams that advanced through group play without a loss.

Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün led France to the semifinals for the first time by beating China 90-61 earlier.

Both Johannès and Salaün scored 15 points while Gabby Williams contributed 14 as the Olympic finalists put themselves in contention for a first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when France finished third in the final round.

“It means a lot,” Williams said of reaching the semifinals for the first time. “We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey. Obviously we have a big goal this tournament, but it’s great to check this off the list.”

Chants of “Allez les Bleues” rang around the Berlin Arena before Williams opened the scoring, and the French supporters made sure they were heard for the rest of the game as their team dominated on the court below. France has been fluid and free-scoring, beating its four opponents so far by a combined 156 points.

The team set a tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game by netting 22 in its final group game on Monday. The French players connected on 14 of 37 attempts Thursday, with Johannès and Salaün scoring three triples each.

“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaün said of France's team spirit. “We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”

Salaün had an ice pack bound to her right knee. France coach Jean Aime Toupane told The Associated Press it was just a precaution.

The French defense limited the impact of China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who had the attention of two French players any time she received the ball. The 19-year-old sensation was held scoreless over her 7 minutes, 18 seconds of play in the first half, though she contributed in defense with three blocks before halftime.

There was nothing Zhang could do to stop Johannès from scoring successive 3-pointers in the third quarter, when she also got on the scoreboard. Zhang finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and seven turnovers.

Han Xu, who had a double-double in each of her four games at the tournament, again led China with 21 points and nine rebounds.

The United States, the four-time defending champion, routed Hungary 108-56 in the first quarterfinal with Napheesa Collier scoring 19 points to stretch their winning run in the tournament to 34 games since a semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 semifinals.

The U.S. awaits the winner of Spain-Australia in the last quarterfinal later.

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German players react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German players react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Germany's Frieda Buhner shoots over Belgium's Bethy Mununga during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Germany's Leonie Fiebich, left, and Alexandra Wilke react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

China's Yang Shuyu guards France's Romane Berniesp during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

China's Han Xu and France's Gabby Williams wait for freethrows during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Marième Badiane shoots over China's Li Yuan during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

French players wave to fans after the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Pauline Astier, left, and France's Marine Johannes react after the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Rain prevented England from putting Pakistan in a deeper hole than 52-2 and 268 runs behind on day two of the Edgbaston test on Thursday.

Pakistan walked out after tea 320 runs behind to begin its second innings in gloomy, lights-on conditions perfectly suited for England's four-man pace attack which has dominated the series.

Pakistan has yet to crack a 200 total, and Ollie Robinson was the man of the moment again.

Robinson got Saim Ayub to nick to the slips off the first ball and became only the fifth bowler in test history to twice take a wicket with the first ball of an innings in a series. The last person was Zaheer Khan for India against Bangladesh in 2007. Bill Voce was the only previous Englishman in 1937 against Australia.

Ayub was playing Twenty20s in the Caribbean 10 days ago but was summoned in mid-series in a panic call by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play his first test in 20 months. He bagged a pair.

Robinson struck again with his fourth ball, nicking off Abdullah Shafique.

That made Pakistan start 0-2 for the sixth time ever in tests and the second time against England. The other was at the same ground in 1982. The bowler was Ian Botham.

From 0-2, Azan Awais and Shan Masood dug out Pakistan to 52-2 in 12 overs. Awais had 29 and Masood 21 after being dropped on 13 by Ben Duckett off the luckless Gus Atkinson.

Wet weather came sooner than forecast and guaranteed Pakistan lived to fight at least one more day in a three-test series already lost. England, up 2-0, should complete the sweep on Saturday with no test going the distance.

England began the day already in front with a lead of 23 at 156-4.

In two sessions, 50 overs, they added 297 runs at a pacy 5.9, its fastest rate on any day all summer. Three more batters scored fifties to add to Emilio Gay's gritty 60 and Harry Brook's unbeaten 52 on Wednesday but the effort looked nothing like Bazball.

However, Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith and less so Robinson would have thought a century was at their mercy.

The former trio spent more than two hours at the crease, three hours in Brook’s case, but all fell tamely and showed obvious frustration to miss out on a century on a fair pitch against a popgun attack.

Brook ran himself out on 75, Lawrence dragged on on 65, and Smith chipped back to fast bowler Razaullah Khan on 69.

Robinson's breezy 50 from 47 balls highlighted the merciless contribution from the tailenders of 116 runs and 15 boundaries.

Brook resumed on a restrained 52 and Dan Lawrence on 5, and in sunny conditions they plundered seven runs per over in the first hour.

Brook then mistakenly took on Shan Masood at midwicket and has now been involved in five run outs in tests — only Virat Kohli (6) has been in more. Brook has gone 11 tests without a century but was still averaging more than 40.

Lawrence, filling Ben Stokes' old spot, had in hand his third fifty in three tests when he chopped on. He gave up an agonizing “No” and Mohammad Imran's first test wicket.

“Bitterly disappointed to get out in the 60s,” Lawrence said. "Something I've prided myself on this season is kicking on. I really wanted a big hundred today.

“(But) at the start of the day if you offered me 65 I would've taken it. To get 450 on the board on a pitch that was pretty tricky yesterday was a really good effort.”

Pakistan still went to lunch with an air of resignation as Smith collected an unbeaten 47 of the 143 runs in the session.

Smith got his third fifty of the summer straight after lunch by crashing Razaullah through the covers, but Razaullah got him caught and bowled on 69.

No. 9 batter Robinson greeted the new ball by lofting Mohammad Abbas for six over cow corner and got his second fifty of the season from 46 balls. The entertainment was ended by a good catch from Masood in the covers.

Archer grabbed a couple of sixes and was stranded on 32.

The 21-year-old raw but fiery Razaullah led Pakistan with four expensive wickets. Parachuted into the team just last week, his average speed of 87.1 mph (141 kph) in the innings was the fastest by a Pakistan bowler since Shaheen Shah Afridi in 2021 in Rawalpindi against South Africa.

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England's Ollie Robinson celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Saim Ayub on day two of the third cricket Test between England and Pakistan in Birmingham, England, Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Pakistan's Razaullah bowls a delivery on day two of the third cricket Test between England and Pakistan in Birmingham, England, Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Harry Brook, center, is run out by Pakistan's Shan Masood during day two of the third cricket Test between England and Pakistan in Birmingham, England, Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Dan Lawrence bats on day two of the third cricket Test between England and Pakistan in Birmingham, England, Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Harry Brook, right, makes a run during day two of the third cricket Test between England and Pakistan in Birmingham, England, Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)