Scola leads Argentina past France to set up final vs. Spain

Ageless veteran Luis Scola led Argentina to an 80-66 victory over France in the FIBA World Cup semifinal.

The 39-year-old posted 28 points, 13 boards, and two assists to set up a championship clash against Spain.

After France scored the game's first basket, Argentina took control with 10 unanswered points and only briefly relinquished the lead in the second quarter.

The Argentines thrived off France's miscues, scoring 19 points off 11 turnovers, and took advantage of transition opportunities with 13 fast-break points.

France's star tandem had a quiet game - Rudy Gobert registered three points while Evan Fournier struggled to find his rhythm, scoring 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

Les Bleus won bronze at the previous World Cup, but have yet to make the tournament's championship game.

Argentina will make its first FIBA World Cup finals appearance since falling to Yugoslavia at the 2002 edition. The fifth-ranked nation claimed its only world championship title in 1950.