PARIS — France suffered a surprising blowout loss during a summer exhibition contest.NCAA program Murray State routed a lineup of French national team reserves 110-72 on Monday in Paris.
The American collegiate squad dominated the action from the opening tip-off. Murray State stormed out to a 27-5 lead after the first quarter.The Racers expanded their advantage to 62-25 by halftime before securing the 38-point victory.
The French side fielded several established European professionals, including Sylvain Francisco, Guerschon Yabusele, and Yakuba Ouattara.However, the assembled roster struggled with team chemistry and ball handling throughout the contest.France committed 28 total turnovers, which allowed Murray State to control the pace of play.
New Panathinaikos guard Sylvain Francisco led the scoring for France, finishing with 23 points in nearly 30 minutes on the floor. Francisco shot 6-of-16 from three-point range and added two rebounds and two assists, though he also recorded five turnovers. Yabusele logged 14 minutes off the bench, recording three points and four rebounds.
French player Roman Domon led Murray State in scoring with 24 points in 23 minutes.Five players scored in double figures for the Racers, who shot 49 percent from the field and hit 14 three-pointers.
Following the final whistle, Francisco addressed the outcome on social media, emphasizing the contrast in preparation time between the two teams. He noted that many French players had just joined the squad and lacked practice time together.
“For me, it was a return, for Guerschon too — he only came at halftime,” Francisco wrote. “We didn’t know each other. Everyone is at different levels. We were basically just thrown together and played against a team that has been practicing since June 1. They have both offensive and defensive systems and play with good intensity”.
The France basketball Murray State matchup served as an exhibition fixture for both programs. Murray State, which competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, improved to 3-0 on its European summer tour following the win.
The loss carries no official standing for France’s primary national team.The main French roster will resume official competitive play later this month in the FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers.
