Battling Belgium Rewarded For Determination

Belgium coach Eddy Casteels wants to make one thing very clear to his country's basketball fans.
The national team didn't just turn up to play against Ukraine this summer, the only side it beat in EuroBasket Division A to finish 2-4 in Group C.
The Belgians, Casteels says, also showed determination and focus throughout the qualifying campaign
Axel Hervelle provided a lift for Belgium as they upset Ukraine on the road.against Turkey, France and the Ukrainians.
"Everybody in Belgium will be talking about the two wins against Ukraine," Casteels said after Saturday's 76-58 triumph in Yuzhny.
"But I really am proud that we had great games against Turkey and France, also.
"We played with a lot of character, a lot of desire, and as a coach you really focus on that because that is really what you build into."
Belgium also defeated Ukraine 72-61 in Charleroi on September 10.
That first win over Ukraine came as somewhat of a surprise because Ukraine had gone into the game sky high after coming from behind in the fourth quarter to beat France just four days before.
EuroBasket qualifying games are unpredictable, though.
Ukraine, for example, could not have predicted that Belgium's best-known player from Real Madrid, Axel Hervelle, would show up in Yuzhny.
He had missed the first five qualifying games but arrived with his teammates to the arena on Saturday and then had a major impact on the game, scoring 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds.