The whistle blew, and the halftime break ended.

Back on the field, the French team indeed changed their formation, making a major overhaul of their defensive setup.

French small forward Camille moved to the perimeter to coordinate with the French shooting guard, double-teaming Lu Yu.

This defensive formation relieved Zeng Ling, as Sun Meng in the paint now only needs to dodge center Cora's block to score.

However, this is contingent on Lu Yu being able to grit his teeth and withstand the French team's double defense.

Camille is an outstanding player in both defense and ball-stealing. Lu Yu needs to find a way to safely pass the ball out while being double-teamed.

Lu Yu dribbled the ball, and after two large shoulder feints, she failed to break out of the defensive circle. She suddenly accelerated to the left, creating distance between herself and the French shooting guard. Camille stood motionless to Lu Yu's left. Just before Lu Yu was about to collide with Camille, Lu Yu stopped abruptly, and the basketball was dribbled to her right hand.

In a brief lull between dribbles, Camille stretched out his long arm—

Camille has made her move, now!

Just as Camille was about to steal the ball, Lu Yu didn't move his feet, but turned his body and made a long pass to the side, sending the basketball flying towards Sun Meng.

Sun Meng leaped and caught the basketball.

Sun Meng ran a few steps, dribbled the ball to the basket, and leaped suddenly.

Just as Sun Meng was about to make a layup, Cora, with her accurate anticipation and height advantage, directly blocked Sun Meng's layup attempt.

Sun Meng knew that if she wanted to force this ball, she could only score with a second layup. Coach Zeng had told her during halftime that she needed to control her energy consumption in the third quarter.

With a quick thought, seeing that the ball was about to be blocked, Sun Meng immediately retrieved it and passed it out the moment she landed, sending it flying towards Chu Feiyu.

This long pass was made at a very fast speed.

As Sun Meng landed and passed the ball, Chu Feiyu immediately accelerated and caught the basketball. Without pausing or slowing down after catching it, she lightly leaped and shot.

Three point hit!

"Beautiful! Chu Feiyu's running shot was effective!" Meng Xiaotong shouted excitedly.

Looking at the scoreboard, Liu Du smiled and said, "This three-pointer was crucial. The score is now 42-41 between China and France, with China in the lead. This is the first time China has taken the lead today. Chu Feiyu not only defended against Lucia's attack, but is also showing results on the offensive end. I have to say, this young player's growth rate is amazing."

Feng Xu nodded and said, "Yes, the Chinese team played a very perfect game on that play. Sun Meng was also very smart; she didn't force a layup when she was under the basket. A double-dribble layup would be too energy-consuming. To deal with the French team's fast-paced offense, we must stay calm. At this level of competition, the difference in strength between the teams isn't that big, so balancing energy consumption is crucial."

Faced with China's barrage of three-pointers, the French team also had a countermeasure.

The French team scored frequently through intense battles in the paint.

The French and Chinese teams used exactly the same methods to deal with their opponents' frequent outside scoring.

The reason the Chinese team fielded Ren Qiqi and Ji Yun was to accelerate their inside battle at the start of the game to create shooting opportunities for their outside shooters. The goal was to keep the offensive zone within the paint as much as possible, rather than solely focusing on defense. This inside battle would relieve pressure on the perimeter defense.

The two teams were evenly matched, and the score fluctuated.

At the end of the third quarter, the score between China and France was 68-67, with China leading by one point.

By the fourth quarter, the game had entered a heated phase, becoming largely a test of physical endurance.

Both teams' three-point shooting percentages declined due to fatigue and intense defense.

The scoring method is basically a layup.

Everyone on the court knows this: in the end, whoever wins the battle in the paint and scores with a drive will be the winner.

With 17 seconds remaining in the game, the score was 86-84, with China leading by only 2 points.

"The next ball is in France's possession. It's basically the last round of attack, and France's attack will definitely be exceptionally fierce." Liu Du's voice was tense.

Meng Xiaotong's voice trembled with nervousness, "At the very least, we need to defend against France's three-pointers. If France scores with a layup, the score will be tied, and we'll go into overtime."

"It's a crucial ball, ladies! Hold on tight and grit your teeth to defend it!" Feng Xu's rapid breathing could be clearly heard through the microphone.

Lucia dribbled and ran, just past half-court, and suddenly accelerated.

Just then—

A red figure blocked Lucia's path.

It was Chu Feiyu.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Chu Feiyu suddenly accelerated and overtook Lucia.

Lucia was forced to stop, took a probing step to the left and then quickly swayed her shoulder to the right, but she couldn't get past Chu Feiyu.

The French team's attacking rhythm was immediately disrupted.

Time was still ticking away, and the pressure of the offense was mounting on every player on the French women's basketball team.

Lucia didn't have another chance to organize a solid fast break, and before the violation was called, she passed the ball to Camille, who was coming to receive it nearby.

etc--

Another red figure appeared on the field—

A deafening scream erupted from the stadium—

The ball has been intercepted!

Lu Yu accelerated and rushed to Camille's side, intercepting the ball between Lucia and Camille's passing lanes.

The players on the court didn't even realize for a second when Lu Yu had shaken off the French shooting guard and gotten close to Camille; such a change of pace was terrifying.

After intercepting the ball, Lu Yu accelerated and dribbled in the opposite direction of the half-court.

The French team's shooting guard accelerated and stayed close to the road.

Lu Yu lowered his center of gravity, swung his shoulders dramatically, and combined with the rapid bounce of the basketball, instantly getting past the French team's point guard.

Her skillful, butterfly-like steps, like butterflies flitting among flowers, possess a harmonious and graceful beauty.

Lu Yu seized the opportunity and passed the ball to Sun Meng under the basket before being double-teamed.

Sun Meng leaped and caught the basketball.

The French team's defensive speed was very fast, and they mostly stayed near the outside line.

There were only Sun Meng and Camille under the basket.

A true one-on-one experience.

Sun Meng had no time to think; she took a big step forward and drove straight for a layup.

Sun Meng and Camille jumped almost simultaneously.

As Sun Meng rose, she saw Camille's hand ready to block, so she immediately pulled the ball back, straightened her waist and abdomen, and hung in the air at the highest point to avoid Camille's block.

Just as Sun Meng was extending her arm for another layup in mid-air, Camille's left hand suddenly straightened and extended.

Sun Meng retrieved the ball again.

He almost got blocked.

Sun Meng's heart leaped into her throat. As her body descended, her arms and legs instantly straightened. She adjusted the position of her hands in mid-air, allowing herself to linger in the air for a brief moment.

This was the most crucial moment; Camille's body had already fallen.

Sun Meng shouted and attacked again.

A real dunk!

An undeniable victory!

When Lu Yu intercepted the ball, the Chinese team had already secured the victory in this game. The Chinese team could even choose to run out of the remaining seconds to win.

But clearly, Sun Meng and Lu Yu worked together seamlessly, using their most aggressive offensive move – a double-handed layup – to secure their place in the finals.