The second day of the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament saw a few teams seal their Olympic fates and one team - the host country, Turkey - determine their quarterfinal seeding after pool play is over.
Day 2 Results:
Group A - Turkey 65, Japan 49 - Turkey locked up the top spot in Group A with the win and will now face Group B's second-place finisher in the quarterfinals.
Group B - Argentina 54, New Zealand 51 - Bye New Zealand! After losing both of their group games, the New Zealanders will be heading to their own island, rather than hitching a ride to England.
Group C - Korea 71, Mozambique 65 - Farewell Mozambique! I'm sure the Mozambiquians are sad about dropping this must-win game after they had an two-point halftime lead.
Group D - France 56, Canada 47 - Looks like the olde guarde French speakers won the battle for who will most likely be the top seed out of Group D. No offense to Mali, but ....
Upcoming Games:
Each group has one more game on Wednesday, June 27th before the quarterfinal matchups will be determined:
Group A - Japan vs. Puerto Rico - Each team has lost to Turkey, so the winner of this game will be the second qualifier in Group A.
Group B - Argentina vs. Czech Republic - Both of these teams are definitely advancing to the knockout round, so this is to see who gets the dubious draw of playing the host nation next, with the honors going to this game's losing squad.
Group C - Korea vs. Croatia - These two also definitely know they're advancing in the tournament, and will get pitted against the top two from Group D.
Group D - France vs. Mali - No offense to Mali, but .... I'm guessing France will win this game handily and end up as the top team in the group, with Canada getting the other slot in the quarters.
After a day of rest, the quarterfinal games will take place on June 29, in Ankara. The winners go to the Olympics, the losers play each other for the fifth and final Olympic berth awarded in this tournament.
Recap: Day 1 Results