Left for dead needing to beat Japan in their final group game to have any chance of sneaking into the knockout round, Belgium did just that and then followed up with a quarterfinal stunner, taking down unbeaten Spain to set up a final-four meeting with either France or Germany.
Once again the Belgians were led by the tournament’s top scorer Emma Meesseman, who bagged 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds while Kyara Linskens also had 19 points and eight rebounds to help send Spain to their fourth loss in five Olympic quarterfinals.
Earlier, Australia got their revenge and a spot in the semifinals by breezing past Serbia 85-67 to earn a shot at another rival.
Beaten by Serbia at the same stage of the 2016 Rio Games, Australia made sure there would not be a repeat by methodically building a 26-19 first-quarter advantage and never letting it go.
The Opals were led by a 22-point effort from Alanna Smith while Cayla George and Jade Melbourne each chipped in with 18.
The win sends the Australians into the final four where they will take on the winners of the match between the US and Nigeria for a place in the gold medal final on Sunday.
Getting retribution on Serbia is one thing but getting the better of the mighty US, who are expected to ease past Games debutants Nigeria later on Wednesday, would be quite another.
The US are riding a 58-match winning streak, chasing an unprecedented 10th gold medal and eighth in a row with much of that success coming at Australia’s expense.
The Opals have won five Olympic medals in women’s basketball but have yet to claim gold, losing to the US in three consecutive Olympic finals (2000, 2004, and 2008).
More recently it was the US ending Australia’s medal hopes three years ago in Tokyo when the Opals were thumped 79-55 by the Americans in the quarterfinals.
“Most of us play in the WNBA, we face these players day in, day out,” said Australian and New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. “They’re human. They’re basketball players.”
“Anything can happen at one time.”
“You have got to believe it. It’s got to be a positive mindset, knowing on any given day you can come out, and you can beat them.”