Home
- FIBA European
Championship 2011 Women Poland daily news
FIBA European Championship 2011 Women Poland daily news
The
2011 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket
Women 2011, will be the 33rd regional championship held by FIBA Europe.
The competition will be held in Poland from June 18 - July 3, 2011.
FIBA Eurobasket 2011 on Wikipedia check here.
Official FIBA Eurobasket 2011 website check here.
It wasn't the
smoothest of rides but a rampant Russia finally reached their
destination to top the podium and be crowned EuroBasket Women 2011
champions. Their stuttering and unconvincing start to the tournament
was little more than a distant memory as they swept aside Turkey with a
classy and powerful performance to make up for missing out on top spot
in the Final two years ago. The victory also ensured their remarkable
sequence of podium success woven during previous years continued.
Having won alternate silver and gold medals since 2001, the pattern had
hinted at gold this time around and they duly delivered. Led by veteran
Maria Stepanova and tournament MVP Elena Danilochkina, Russia pretty
much controlled the game from start to finish as they utilised their
strength in the paint and all-round depth of their roster to great
effect. Turkey found it really tough going against an imperious Russian
defence right from the first moments. Read more here.
France Defeat Czechs To Conquer Bronze
Two years after claiming gold, France secured the consolation of bronze
at EuroBasket Women with a 63-56 victory over the Czech Republic in
Lodz. Both teams came to Poland with greater ambitions in mind. Both
have the consolation of places at next year's Olympic qualification
tournament. Only one, however, will take home a medal. But it took a
late surge for Pierre Vincent's team to earn a souvenir for their
efforts this summer. Gruda began her explosion with 8 points in the
first quarter but Les Bleues trailed 20-15 as the Czechs delivered an
energetic start. The forward continued her personal assault in the
second to draw the French level but Eva Viteckova was matching her,
score for score, and she ignited a 6-0 run which sent her side 30-24
clear at half-time. Read more here.
Danilochkina Heads All-Tournament Team
Russia guard
Elena Danilochkina was named as the Most Valuable Player of EuroBasket
Women 2011 after sparking her country to a third championship in eight
years. The 25-year-old emerged as her team's most influential player in
Poland, shooting over 50% from the field to lead the Russians in
scoring while hitting 18 points in both the quarter and semi-finals.
"Elena's young but she's a great player," praised team-mate Maria
Stepanova. "Sometimes when we need it, she tells us to get going. At
other times, she gets us to slow down and be patient and play smart.
She's become the new leader of our team." Read more here.
July 2, 2011 - Semifinals
Majestic Russia In The Final Elena Danilochkina
travelled to the EuroBasket Women as a member of Russia's national team
but there is a pretty good chance she'll leave as the nation's
brightest new star. The 25-year-old shooting guard-turned playmaker
tore apart the Czech Republic in the first half with another
scintillating shooting display and finished with a game-high 18 points
as Russia rolled to an 85-53 victory. Danilochkina didn't miss a shot
from the floor before the break when she poured in 16 of her points,
including four makes on shots from long range. Russia will now take on
either France or Turkey in Sunday's gold medal game. The Czechs went
into the game on the back of an impressive victory against Croatia but
time and time again, they failed to get a player in front of
Danilochkina when she had the ball beyond the arc. Read more here.
Turkey Outlast France In OT Thriller Turkey delivered a
heart-stopping performance to end the reign of defending EuroBasket
Women champions France, beating the odds once again to claim a stunning
68-62 overtime win that sent them onwards to Sunday's final against
Russia. Ten points clear in the second period, Ceyhyn Yildoglu's side
were tested to the limit, mentally and physically. But in a dramatic
OT, they hit the last seven points and then embraced on another in
celebration. In their first-ever European semi-final, Turkey showed no
signs of fear against the two-time winners, converting 12 points
without reply in the opening quarter. Sitting 16-15 ahead at the end of
the first quarter, the underdogs made their strongest run. Read more here.
July 1, 2011 - Classification Games for 5th to 8th Place
Montenegro Back To Winning Ways The
Montenegro fairytale is alive once again after a late surge against
Lithuania put them within touching distance of a place at the Olympic
Qualifying Tournament. Having frozen against Turkey during their
quarter-final, they looked considerably more relaxed and more like the
team that graced Katowice as they held their nerve to overturn an eight
point deficit. They now find themselves just one win away from getting
a shot at making it to London 2012 as they prepare to face fellow
surprise package Croatia in a mouth-watering fifth place game. The game
had started with both teams playing scrappy and a struggle of epic
proportions unfolded as both Montenegro and Lithuania tried to make a
decisive run and break the game open. Read more here.
June 30, 2011 - Quarterfinals Day 2
France Beat Lithuania, Reach The Semis The
reigning champions have spoken loud and clear: ‘Don't write us off.'
France had to battle their way through injury and inconsistency to
survive the group stages of EuroBasket Women but they now stand just
two wins away from defending their title. But they had to fight once
more to book their place in the semi-finals with a 66-58 victory over
Lithuania on Thursday in Lodz. Now they will face Turkey on Friday
evening for a place in the grand finale of the championships. It surely
cannot be harder than this. For 40 minutes, the two teams pushed and
fought each other, refusing to give up. France made its decisive move
in the third quarter. Lithuania chased desperately but could not make
up the lost ground. Read more here.
Turkey Stop The Montenegro Express Turkey
shut down the Montenegro scoring machine on Thursday to move within one
victory of a medal at the EuroBasket Women in Poland. Previously
unbeaten, Miodrag Baletic's Montenegrins led 27-24 at the break but
caved in the third quarter and ultimately fell 56-44. Ceyhyn
Yildizoglu's side will now meet the winner of the fourth and last
Quarter-Final between Lithuania and defending champions France.
Montenegro struggled against Turkey´s suffocating defense and could not
stop their opponent´s superb shooting from behind the arc. Turkey were
nine of 14 (64%) from three-point range, with Saziye Ivegin making four
of those. Read more here.
June 30, 2011 - Classification Games for 5th to 8th Place
Croatia Bounce Back To Beat Latvia A
resilient Croatia bounced straight back from their quarter-final
mauling by Czech Republic to keep their hopes of reaching the Olympic
Games alive. Despite a sluggish start, they overpowered a lacklustre
and jaded looking Latvia whose London 2012 dreams are now over.
Ironically it was the Latvians who started with more energy in a high
tempo and highly entertaining first half before fading badly during the
latter stages. With eight lead changes summarising an exciting first
couple of quarters, the game had looked as if it would go down to the
wire. Read more here.
June 29, 2011 - Quarterfinals Day 1
Czechs Rout Croatia To Reach Semis The
Czech Republic blew away Croatia in the third quarter and claimed a
79-63 victory to reach the Semi-Finals of the EuroBasket Women. Eva
Viteckova had 17 points while the interior play of the Czechs on
defense in the third quarter helped Lubor Blazek's side shut down their
opponents and go on a 24-0 run that finished early in the final period.
The scoring rampage left the Czech Republic with a 68-40 stranglehold
on the game. Petra Kulichova and Ilona Burgrova were immense inside for
the Czechs, combining for 22 points and 16 rebounds. While credited
with just three blocks, the duo altered even more shots. The victory
has thrown the Czechs into another classic confrontation with
traditional rivals Russia. Read more here.
Russia Ease Past Latvia Into Semis Russia
eased their way into the semi-finals courtesy of a stunning first-half
perimeter shooting display which put Latvia to bed early. Right from
the tip-off, it was Russia who looked the better team as they moved
into a 17-8 lead having made two uncontested triples which set the tone
for what was to follow. It could have been a lot worse for Latvia had
Zane Tamane and Elina Babkina not both been perfect from the field
during the first eight minutes of action as they helped their team
rally with a 10-2 run. However there was no stopping Russia from
three-point range in the second quarter either. They fired up another
flurry of three-balls and soon had the cushion of a commanding double
digit lead. Read more here.
June 29, 2011 - EuroBasket Women: Second round review
We now head to the
quarter-final stage of the EuroBasket Women. And to say everything is
going to plan is sadly very mistaken. Here's the outlook of the second
round.
Group E:
Advanced - Czech Republic, Lithuania, Russia and Turkey. Out -
Belarus and Great Britain. As expected, the favourites, Czech Republic
and Russia go through, along with Lithuania and surprise package of the
last-eight Turkey. The Czechs top the group with just one defeat,
which was at the hands of Russia, who themselves qualify, but still
haven't won some of the critics over with their performances. This
year's tournament proving just how open and competitive it is. Russia
though did comfortably beat Turkey and Belarus before nearly getting
stunned by Great Britain. They just about pulled off a 62-59 victory on
the final day. Lithuania go through, quietly without any fuss. Winning
a thriller against Great Britain by one point then despatching Belarus
to advance. They did lose their final encounter against the Czechs.
Read more here.
June 27, Day 9 - Second Round
Turkey Upset Belarus, Advance Turkey produced
arguably their best performance of EuroBasket Women to book a
quarter-final tie with Montenegro in Lodz on Thursday with a 65-56
victory over Belarus. The 2010 world championship semi-finalists are
going home. And they will regret delivering their worst three quarters
of this tournament as they dug a hole that was too deep to claw out of.
To save themselves from elimination, the Turks were aggressive and
refused to back down. An early 13-2 run pushed them in front and they
would never trail again. Read more here.
Czechs Beat Lithuania, Clinch Top Spot Eva
Viteckova fuelled a Czech Republic fight-back against Lithuania to help
her team seal top spot in Group E and set up a quarter-final clash with
Croatia. In a game that was as intense as any seen in Bydgoszcz,
Lithuania were hugely impressive in a slick first fifteen minutes when
they played great team basketball to build a double digit lead. However
Viteckova helped to turn the tide and then subsequently finished the
job to ensure it was Lithuania who will face reigning champions France
in Lodz. Viteckova was ably helped by Katerina Elhotova in the scoring
stakes who regained her shooting touch after a rare off day last time
out. Read more here.
Russia Survive Britain Scare Russia
booked their place in the quarter-finals of EuroBasket Women but they
had to survive a major scare against Britain before claiming a 62-59
victory. The pre-tournament favourites rebounded from 15 points down in
the second quarter but it eventually took an 8-0 run in the final two
minutes to ensure they will progress from Group E. It also simplified
the mathematics with the game between Belarus and Turkey now becoming a
winner-takes-all tie on Monday evening. Britain ended their first-ever
EuroBasket Women appearance with another determined showing and another
late disappointment. Read more here.
June 26, Day 8 - Second Round
Perfect Montenegro Top Group F Montenegro
faced another opponent at the EuroBasket Women and claimed yet another
scalp on Sunday with a 74-70 triumph over Latvia. In the battle for
first place, Montenegro prevailed with Jelena Dubljevic scoring 20 of
her game-high 24 points in the first half. Playing in the event for the
first time, Montenegro have already had a tournament to remember with
victories over hosts Poland, Spain, Germany, Croatia, France and now
Latvia. Now Miodrag Baletic's team will try and show they can continue
to win in Lodz when the knockout stages of the competition get
underway. Dubljevic, who also had 11 rebounds, six assists and two
steals, was terrific yet again for Montenegro. Read more here.
Epic Croatia Knock Out Spain Croatia
shot down Spain and reached the Quarter-Finals of the EuroBasket Women
on Sunday in Katowice. In a do-or-die Group F battle for a spot in the
last eight, Croatia upset the Eurobasket Women 2009 bronze medallists ,
a nation that had reached the podium in every European Championship
since 2001. Just last year, Spain captured the bronze medal at the FIBA
World Championship for Women. Croatia have turned a EuroBasket Women
nightmare into a dream they will now not want to wake up from.
Annihilated 86-40 by France in their opening game, Croatia progressed
to Round 2 by virtue of their last-second win over Greece in their next
Group D game and they also dug deep to beat EuroBasket Women hosts
Poland in Group F on Friday. Read more here.
France Deprive Hosts Of Farewell Win Poland
threatened to spring a big upset in their last game as hosts of the
EuroBasket Women but failed to execute down the stretch and lost to
France. Les Bleues prevailed 58-54, getting 15 points from Emilie
Gomis. While the veteran shooting guard hit five of seven shots from
the field, France struggled from the floor all day and finished 21 of
56 (38%) as a team. Poland had their opportunities to get a second win
in the tournament, with Germany having been the only team to fall to
Dariusz Maciejewski's side. Elzbieta Mowlik had 11 points as the Poles
led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter after France stormed back to
lead 24-19 at the break, Poland again came to life and took a 44-39
advantage to the last quarter. Read more here.
June 25, Day 7 - Second Round
Lithuania Win Keeps Suspense High Sandra
Linkeviciene had 15 points and 11 rebounds as Lithuania delivered an
emphatic late surge to defeat Belarus 68-50. The result sees Algirdas
Paulaskas' side boast the only unbeaten record in the standings but has
thrown up the potential for huge intrigue on the final day of second
round action on Monday. Saturday's combination of results has decreed
that Russia must also defeat Great Britain, who have been eliminated,
to be sure of progressing to the quarter-finals. And if they secure
their place in the last eight, it would then see Belarus and Turkey
effectively stage a play-off to decide who will join them, Lithuania
and the Czech Republic in Lodz next week. With the chance to avoid any
anxiety, the Belarussians came up just short and would regret a poor
second quarter and a nightmare shooting performance. Read more here.
Russia Survive Late Czech Rally A rejuvenated and
energized Russia put one foot in the quarter-finals after handing
the Czech Republic a first loss of the tournament. The static and
predictable Russian offence of previous games was nowhere to be seen as
they posted a much improved and up-tempo display which caught the
Czechs cold and trailing in their wake right from the tip-off. Visibly
more aggressive and willing to push the ball down the floor at every
opportunity rather than being obsessed with a half-court game, they
suddenly looked both fun to watch and a real danger for Lodz should
they finish the job against Great Britain, or Belarus beat Lithuania to
seal the deal for their neighbours. Read more here.
Turkey Hang On To Beat Britain Turkey produced a
determined display at the EuroBasket finals with a 64-57 win over Great
Britain in Bydgoszcz on Saturday. Despite 18 points from Natalie
Stafford and a spirited fightback in the fourth quarter, the 2012
Olympic Games hosts could not pull off an escape after falling behind
in the second quarter. Building on their 33-37 advantage at half-time,
Turkey started the second half with a 8-2 run sparked by Nevriye Yilmaz
to go 41-29 ahead. However Stafford ignited an 8-0 burst which closed
the deficit to 53-50 at the end of the third period and the
Australian-born guard set up a tense finale when she brought GB to
within 57-55 with 1:20 remaining. Read more here.
June 24, Day 6 - Second Round
Unstoppable Montenegro Beat France They came, they saw and
they continued to conquer. Montenegro claimed another scalp on Friday
at the EuroBasket Women, and not just any scalp. They beat defending
champions France, 73-68, to remain undefeated on their debut appearance
in the tournament. France, who went down in overtime to Latvia in Group
D, have now lost two of their three games in Katowice. Their superior
goal differential against Croatia, a team they beat 86-40 on opening
night, and their 79-55 hammering of Spain would be enough to see the
French advance in a potential tie-breaker. France will be huge
favorites against Poland on Sunday, anyway. Read more here.
Croatia Eliminate Poland Croatia lived to fight
another day by downing a disappointing Poland 64-56 on Friday night. In
the Round 2 Group F game, captain Sandra Mandir and big center Luca
Ivankovic each had 13 points to lead a balanced Croatia attack. Mandir,
who beat Greece with a spinning drive in the lane at the death in their
Group D encounter, also had nine rebounds. Croatia will now take on
Spain on Sunday with the stakes very high. The likelihood is that the
winner of the game will move on to the next round. Read more here.
Spain Back To Winning Ways Spain hit back from
their fourth-quarter horror show against France and beat Latvia on
Friday. In the Round 2 game played in Katowice, Sancho Lyttle, Laia
Palau and Anna Montanana provided the firepower as Spain won 66-57
against a Latvian side that had already clinched a spot in the
Quarter-Final Round. The Spaniards will now be hoping that Poland do
them a favor and beat Croatia because a victory for hosts in the second
game of the day in Katowice would punch Spain's ticket to the next
phase of the competition. Victory came at a cost for Spain, however.
Already without small forward and veteran Amaya Valdemoro due to a calf
injury, Marta Xargay sprained her right ankle in the second half. Read
more here.
June 23, Day 5 - Second Round
Czechs Edge Hard-Fighting Turkey The
Czech Republic withstood a second half rally from Turkey to remain
unbeaten at EuroBasket Women and assure themselves of a spot in the
next stage with a 56-51 win. It needed a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter
to break their opponents resistance and give the 2010 world
championship finalists the momentum they required. Elhotova delivered
another outstanding display and she was instrumental as her team used a
7-1 start to accelerate into a 26-16 advantage with 3:39 left in the
second period. However Nevriye Yilmaz hit six successive points to cut
the gap at half-time and then Emine Palazoglu hit back-to-back threes
as Turkey levelled at 28-28 early in the third. Read more here.
Belarus Explode In Third To Deny Russia A
third quarter explosion by Belarus proved enough to deny Russia the
chance to extract revenge for being dumped out of the FIBA World
Championship last summer. After a titanic first-half struggle when
accurate shooting was in desperately short supply and both teams
cancelled each other out, Belarus came alive after the break and posted
a 9-2 run which set the tone for the rest of the game. They changed the
tempo completely by finding an extra gear and it brutally exposed the
one-dimensional and pedestrian half-court offence of their opponents.
Russia also contributed to their own downfall by losing their
discipline when a deliberate and senseless off the ball foul allowed
Belarus to stretch their lead to double digits. Read more here.
Lithuania Beat Britain In Thriller Lithuania
produced a stunning late comeback to edge out Great Britain 64-63 in
the opening game of the second round of EuroBasket Women in Bydgsozcz.
Algiridis Paulaskas' side, trailing by as much as six in the fourth
quarter, delivered a 6-0 run in the closing three minutes to snatch a
win that effectively sends them into the quarter-finals. It was
heart-breaking for Great Britain who led for most of the game with a
gritty defensive performance that caught their more experienced rivals
off guard. And although Lithuania went on a 9-2 run to go ahead in the
opening quarter, what followed was unexpected and dramatic. Trading
leads six times in the first half, Britain went 32-30 in front at
half-time and pushed 40-34 clear midway through the third.
However Sandra Linkeviciene polished off a three-point play to cap an
8-0 run which took Lithuania 42-40 ahead with 4:07 left in the third.
Jo Leedham immediately hit a three-pointer in reply to start a British
response. Read more here.
June 22, Day 4 - Second Round
France Demolish Spain In Fourth Quarter Revenge
is a great motivator, and France proved that on Wednesday night as they
blew away Spain at the EuroBasket Women in Katowice. Driven by the
agonizing memories of last year's overtime defeat to the Spaniards in
the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA World Championship for Women, a French
team that trailed by two in their Round 2, Group F opener going into
the last quarter stormed to a 79-55 victory. France lost Emmeline
Ndongue to a foot injury in the second quarter but Sandrine Gruda,
Endene Miyem and Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui made sure she wasn't missed.
Gruda had just two points at half-time but finished with a game-high 17
while Miyem finished with 16 and Yacoubou 10. Yacoubou, in one of her
best games in a France shirt, also had eight rebounds. France
out-rebounded Spain 37-22. Read more here.
It’s Basko Time For Latvia Polish
basketball dreams of another EuroBasket Women championship as the host
nation faded a little more on Wednesday with Latvia the latest side to
defeat them. Winners when they staged the event in 1999, Poland lost
for the third time in four games as they crashed to a 62-53 defeat to
the Latvians. Trailing by as many as eight points in the first half,
the Latvians showed for the third time in this tournament they know now
to play from behind in Katowice's Spodek Arena. If Elina Babkina was
Latvia's star in the overtime upset of France on Sunday when she scored
26 points, on Wednesday it was Latvia captain Gunta Basko and Kristine
Karklina to spark the Baltic side. Basko connected on three of her five
shots from long range and had 19 points and Karklina provided steel off
the bench at the playmaker position and finished with five points, six
rebounds, two assists and two steals. Read more here.
Montenegro Make It Four In A Row! Montenegro
weren't at their best but still marched to another victory at the
EuroBasket Women on Wednesday on the opening day of Round 2 action in
Katowice. Iva Perovanovic tore apart Croatia in the early going,
scoring 15 of her game-high 25 points in the first quarter, and
Montenegro cruised to an 81-60 victory. Perovanovic, one of the
standout performers in the competition so far, ended up with 15
rebounds. If the 1.88m center tormented Croatia in the first quarter
when her team built a 24-17 lead, Jelena Dubljevic turned on the style
in the second. In that frame, she poured in seven of her 16 points and
also pulled down five of her 10 rebounds. Croatia were their own worst
enemy because countless times Stipe Bralic's players penetrated into
the lane for uncontested lay-ups but missed most of them. Read more here.
June 20, Day 3
Great Britain Advance To Round 2 Great Britain booked their place in
Round 2 of EuroBasket Women with a comprehensive 74-51 victory over
Israel that clinched third place in Group B. And in a game in which the
loser was destined to head home, the 2012 Olympic Games hosts produced
their best showing so far to advance with their first-ever win in the
finals. After three lead changes in the opening exchanges, Julie Page
put her side in front for good as GB took a 13-11 advantage into the
second quarter. And when they immediately added another ten unanswered
points, it dealt the Israelis a fatal blow. Read more here.
Slovakia Go Out With A Win While it was ultimately
too little too late, the Slovak Republic salvaged some pride and left
the tournament on a high with a win against Group A winners Lithuania.
The win was made even more impressive since they were again without the
influential Luisa Michulkova to lead the way in the backcourt. However
it was the frontcourt that stepped up as Lucia Kupcikova produced a
stellar 18 point performance while fellow forward Katarina Tetemondova
was a defensive kingpin with 8 rebounds and 4 steals. While Lithuania
knew they couldn't take any potential win into the second round, this
did not detract from the accomplishments of Slovak Republic since Coach
Paulauskas and his team were clearly determined to fight back in the
latter stages. Read more here.
Montenegro Remain Unbeaten Montenegro
put the finishing touches on a brilliant Group C campaign at the
EuroBasket Women with a 76-64 triumph over Germany in Monday's first
game at the Spodek Arena in Katowice. Miodrag Baletic's side had
already clinched first place with victories over Poland and Spain so
the veteran coach elected to rest his starters and give his promising
youngsters most of the minutes on the court. The one Montenegro veteran
that did play a lot, Milka Bjelica, had 23 points and 10 rebounds -
both game highs. Germany trailed by 15 points but whittled the deficit
to just three at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Anne
Breitreiner buried a jumper in the lane. Read more here.
June 19, Day 2
Poland Hit Back Against Germany The
Polish national team beat Germany, 75-60, to ensure the EuroBasket
Women hosts will advance from the first round. Fresh off a thrashing by
Montenegro, the Poles broke open a close game midway through the third
quarter and pulled away for a decisive triumph over the Germans. Poland
center Ewelina Kobryn, heavily criticized after her sub-par performance
on Saturday, scored 16 points and hauled in nine rebounds on Sunday.
Battling Germany, the winners of the Additional Qualifying Tournament,
believed they had a great shot of upsetting the Poles after their
impressive effort against Spain on opening day. Read more here.
Lithuania Come Back to Defeat Russia Lithuania
slammed down a marker for the rest of the tournament after claiming a
super win against a crestfallen Russia in Bydgoszcz. To focus too
heavily on the woes of a Russian team that for longs spells again
laboured painfully to find cohesion would take away from what was a
hugely impressive display by Lithuania. Led by two stunning
contributions from Egle Sulciute and Ausra Bimbaite, they turned the
game on its head with some devastating outside shooting in a blistering
third quarter. Then, when Russia threatened to come back during the
final period, they showed real composure in down the stretch to safely
see out the game and ease their way into the second round. Read more here.
Mandir Magic Saves Croatia Croatia
proved on Sunday that 24 hours is a very long time in basketball.
Utterly destroyed by defending champions France in their EuroBasket
Women Group D opener on Friday, Stipe Bralic's team hit back in grand
style and defeated Greece 65-63 with a daring drive and basket in the
closing seconds by captain Sandra Mandir. Croatia, who reeled off the
game's first 12 points and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter,
allowed the Greeks to come back in the fourth quarter and go in front.
Anna Spyridopoulou, a former youth international who came into her own
this season with Aris in the Greece domestic league and the EuroCup
Women, got off the bench early in the fourth quarter and hit
back-to-back three-balls to trim the deficit to 53-49. Read more here.
Belarus Clinch A Spot In Round Two Belarus
became the first Group B team to book a place in the second round of
EuroBasket Women 2011 with a comprehensive, if not completely emphatic,
68-41 victory over Israel in Bydgoszcz. And the World Championship
semi-finalists will now likely battle it out with the Czech Republic
for top spot in the pool when they meet on Monday evening. All signs
pointed towards a Belarussian cruise when two 7-0 runs in the first
quarter sent the group favourites 18-9 in front, their superior size
proving tough to handle. The Israelis have speed on their side and they
turned to their strengths, pushing the pace with Shay Doron capping a
flurry that put her side within two points midway through the second
quarter. Read more here.
Vardarli, Yilmaz Lead Turkey To First Win A
determined Turkey put their disappointing opening day loss to Lithuania
behind them to overpower Slovak Republic in Bydgoszcz with an
impressive and vibrant performance. They showed just what a difference
24 hours can make in tournament basketball since in stark contrast to
their terrible start on day one, , it was their turn to race out
of the blocks with three-successive triples helping them score the
first 11 points of the game. While Slovak Republic worked hard to get
themselves back into the game, Turkey always looked in control and
played with a real sense of purpose at both ends of the court. Birsel
Vardarli and Isil Alben both set the tone defensively and they made the
most of getting easy scores off turnovers with the rest of the team
also stepping up. Read more here.
June 18, Day 1
Montenegro Debut With A Bang Montenegro
destroyed Poland 70-53 on the opening night of the EuroBasket Women in
Katowice's Spodek Arena. Making their first appearance in the Final
Round, Miodrag Baletic's team dominated in every aspect of the contest
and got contributions from a host of players. While naturalized
Montenegrin Anna De Forge had 18 points to lead all scorers, Iva
Perovanovic poured in 17 and hauled in eight boards. The return from
injury of Jelena Skerovic, who had 11 points, also helped Montenegro to
control the tempo and attack with precision in most of their half-court
sets, which is why the EuroBasket Women rookies shot 22 of 44 inside
the arc. Poland had no answer for Jelena Dubljevic, either. Read more here.
Russia Prevail In First Day Thriller They
may be notoriously slow starters, but Russia really did leave it late
when they tipped off their Group A campaign in Bydgoszcz and eventualy
snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the Slovak Republic.
With just seconds remaining, it had looked as if a shock was about to
materialise but Irina Ospiova saved the day with a big defensive play
at just the right time to stave off defeat. Few people had anticipated
Slovak Republic pushing Russia so close but to their credit, they
battled gallantly and looked the more likely winners for the majority
of the game. That was little consolation for Coach Hejkova who was
furious after the final buzzer and wondering how her team had let a
glorious opportunity slip through their fingers. Read more here.
Belarus Beat Debutants Great Britain Group
B favourites Belarus began their EuroBasket quest with a 55-40 victory
over Great Britain in Bydgoszcz. And, paced by 10 points apiece from
Katsiaryna Sntysina and Anastasiya Verameyenka, there were enough signs
to suggest they are primed for an extended run at this tournament. The
2011 world championship semi-finalists found themselves under
unexpected pressure from the debutants in the opening period, Britain
opening the scoring through Chantelle Handy and then responding to
their first test by levelling at 8-8 through former WNBA Draftee Jo
Leedham. However a single free throw from Marina Kress put Belarus in
front for good with 2:44 left in the quarter and their top-level
experience was evident as they surged away from the 2012 Olympic hosts.
Read more here.
Spain Beat Germany In Group C Both
the young and old came up big for Spain on Saturday in Katowice in
their 79-69 EuroBasket Women Group C victory over Germany. Alba
Torrens, 21, razzled and dazzled her way to 18 points and 34-year-old
veterans Elisa Aguilar and Amaya Valdemoro poured in 17 and 16,
respectively, as Spain beat a very impressive and determined German
side that should give plenty of problems to their next two opponents,
Poland and Montenegro. Germany, who had to win the Additional
Qualifying Tournament just to reach the EuroBasket and are 42nd in the
FIBA World Rankings for Women - 37 below Spain - fought from start to
finish. Read more here.
Lithuania Surprise Turkey 64-58 Lithuania
held off a late run from Turkey to claim a victorious start to their
EuroBasket challenge as they held off a battling Turkey 64-58 in the
opening game of Group A in Bydgoszcz. Now Algrirdas Paulaskas will have
to push his team even harder as they look ahead to their second pool
game against Russia on Sunday. Turkey emerged cold. Lithuania, the 1997
champions, took full advantage, using a 7-0 run to build a 19-12 lead
at the end of the first quarter. Another six unanswered points at the
start of the second threatened to create an insurmountable
deficit. However Saziye Ivegin stood up and refused to let the
Turks fall meekly away. Read more here.
The
Montenegro fairytale is alive once again after a late surge against
Lithuania put them within touching distance of a place at the Olympic
Qualifying Tournament. Having frozen against Turkey during their
quarter-final, they looked considerably more relaxed and more like the
team that graced Katowice as they held their nerve to overturn an eight
point deficit. They now find themselves just one win away from getting
a shot at making it to London 2012 as they prepare to face fellow
surprise package Croatia in a mouth-watering fifth place game. The game
had started with both teams playing scrappy and a struggle of epic
proportions unfolded as both Montenegro and Lithuania tried to make a
decisive run and break the game open. Read more 
The
reigning champions have spoken loud and clear: ‘Don't write us off.'
France had to battle their way through injury and inconsistency to
survive the group stages of EuroBasket Women but they now stand just
two wins away from defending their title. But they had to fight once
more to book their place in the semi-finals with a 66-58 victory over
Lithuania on Thursday in Lodz. Now they will face Turkey on Friday
evening for a place in the grand finale of the championships. It surely
cannot be harder than this. For 40 minutes, the two teams pushed and
fought each other, refusing to give up. France made its decisive move
in the third quarter. Lithuania chased desperately but could not make
up the lost ground. Read more 
Turkey
shut down the Montenegro scoring machine on Thursday to move within one
victory of a medal at the EuroBasket Women in Poland. Previously
unbeaten, Miodrag Baletic's Montenegrins led 27-24 at the break but
caved in the third quarter and ultimately fell 56-44. Ceyhyn
Yildizoglu's side will now meet the winner of the fourth and last
Quarter-Final between Lithuania and defending champions France.
Montenegro struggled against Turkey´s suffocating defense and could not
stop their opponent´s superb shooting from behind the arc. Turkey were
nine of 14 (64%) from three-point range, with Saziye Ivegin making four
of those. Read more 
A
resilient Croatia bounced straight back from their quarter-final
mauling by Czech Republic to keep their hopes of reaching the Olympic
Games alive. Despite a sluggish start, they overpowered a lacklustre
and jaded looking Latvia whose London 2012 dreams are now over.
Ironically it was the Latvians who started with more energy in a high
tempo and highly entertaining first half before fading badly during the
latter stages. With eight lead changes summarising an exciting first
couple of quarters, the game had looked as if it would go down to the
wire. Read more 
The
Czech Republic blew away Croatia in the third quarter and claimed a
79-63 victory to reach the Semi-Finals of the EuroBasket Women. Eva
Viteckova had 17 points while the interior play of the Czechs on
defense in the third quarter helped Lubor Blazek's side shut down their
opponents and go on a 24-0 run that finished early in the final period.
The scoring rampage left the Czech Republic with a 68-40 stranglehold
on the game. Petra Kulichova and Ilona Burgrova were immense inside for
the Czechs, combining for 22 points and 16 rebounds. While credited
with just three blocks, the duo altered even more shots. The victory
has thrown the Czechs into another classic confrontation with
traditional rivals Russia. Read more 
Russia
eased their way into the semi-finals courtesy of a stunning first-half
perimeter shooting display which put Latvia to bed early. Right from
the tip-off, it was Russia who looked the better team as they moved
into a 17-8 lead having made two uncontested triples which set the tone
for what was to follow. It could have been a lot worse for Latvia had
Zane Tamane and Elina Babkina not both been perfect from the field
during the first eight minutes of action as they helped their team
rally with a 10-2 run. However there was no stopping Russia from
three-point range in the second quarter either. They fired up another
flurry of three-balls and soon had the cushion of a commanding double
digit lead. Read more 
Eva
Viteckova fuelled a Czech Republic fight-back against Lithuania to help
her team seal top spot in Group E and set up a quarter-final clash with
Croatia. In a game that was as intense as any seen in Bydgoszcz,
Lithuania were hugely impressive in a slick first fifteen minutes when
they played great team basketball to build a double digit lead. However
Viteckova helped to turn the tide and then subsequently finished the
job to ensure it was Lithuania who will face reigning champions France
in Lodz. Viteckova was ably helped by Katerina Elhotova in the scoring
stakes who regained her shooting touch after a rare off day last time
out. Read more 
Russia
booked their place in the quarter-finals of EuroBasket Women but they
had to survive a major scare against Britain before claiming a 62-59
victory. The pre-tournament favourites rebounded from 15 points down in
the second quarter but it eventually took an 8-0 run in the final two
minutes to ensure they will progress from Group E. It also simplified
the mathematics with the game between Belarus and Turkey now becoming a
winner-takes-all tie on Monday evening. Britain ended their first-ever
EuroBasket Women appearance with another determined showing and another
late disappointment. Read more 
Montenegro
faced another opponent at the EuroBasket Women and claimed yet another
scalp on Sunday with a 74-70 triumph over Latvia. In the battle for
first place, Montenegro prevailed with Jelena Dubljevic scoring 20 of
her game-high 24 points in the first half. Playing in the event for the
first time, Montenegro have already had a tournament to remember with
victories over hosts Poland, Spain, Germany, Croatia, France and now
Latvia. Now Miodrag Baletic's team will try and show they can continue
to win in Lodz when the knockout stages of the competition get
underway. Dubljevic, who also had 11 rebounds, six assists and two
steals, was terrific yet again for Montenegro. Read more 
Croatia
shot down Spain and reached the Quarter-Finals of the EuroBasket Women
on Sunday in Katowice. In a do-or-die Group F battle for a spot in the
last eight, Croatia upset the Eurobasket Women 2009 bronze medallists ,
a nation that had reached the podium in every European Championship
since 2001. Just last year, Spain captured the bronze medal at the FIBA
World Championship for Women. Croatia have turned a EuroBasket Women
nightmare into a dream they will now not want to wake up from.
Annihilated 86-40 by France in their opening game, Croatia progressed
to Round 2 by virtue of their last-second win over Greece in their next
Group D game and they also dug deep to beat EuroBasket Women hosts
Poland in Group F on Friday. Read more 
Poland
threatened to spring a big upset in their last game as hosts of the
EuroBasket Women but failed to execute down the stretch and lost to
France. Les Bleues prevailed 58-54, getting 15 points from Emilie
Gomis. While the veteran shooting guard hit five of seven shots from
the field, France struggled from the floor all day and finished 21 of
56 (38%) as a team. Poland had their opportunities to get a second win
in the tournament, with Germany having been the only team to fall to
Dariusz Maciejewski's side. Elzbieta Mowlik had 11 points as the Poles
led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter after France stormed back to
lead 24-19 at the break, Poland again came to life and took a 44-39
advantage to the last quarter. Read more 
Sandra
Linkeviciene had 15 points and 11 rebounds as Lithuania delivered an
emphatic late surge to defeat Belarus 68-50. The result sees Algirdas
Paulaskas' side boast the only unbeaten record in the standings but has
thrown up the potential for huge intrigue on the final day of second
round action on Monday. Saturday's combination of results has decreed
that Russia must also defeat Great Britain, who have been eliminated,
to be sure of progressing to the quarter-finals. And if they secure
their place in the last eight, it would then see Belarus and Turkey
effectively stage a play-off to decide who will join them, Lithuania
and the Czech Republic in Lodz next week. With the chance to avoid any
anxiety, the Belarussians came up just short and would regret a poor
second quarter and a nightmare shooting performance. Read more 
The
Czech Republic withstood a second half rally from Turkey to remain
unbeaten at EuroBasket Women and assure themselves of a spot in the
next stage with a 56-51 win. It needed a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter
to break their opponents resistance and give the 2010 world
championship finalists the momentum they required. Elhotova delivered
another outstanding display and she was instrumental as her team used a
7-1 start to accelerate into a 26-16 advantage with 3:39 left in the
second period. However Nevriye Yilmaz hit six successive points to cut
the gap at half-time and then Emine Palazoglu hit back-to-back threes
as Turkey levelled at 28-28 early in the third. Read more 
A
third quarter explosion by Belarus proved enough to deny Russia the
chance to extract revenge for being dumped out of the FIBA World
Championship last summer. After a titanic first-half struggle when
accurate shooting was in desperately short supply and both teams
cancelled each other out, Belarus came alive after the break and posted
a 9-2 run which set the tone for the rest of the game. They changed the
tempo completely by finding an extra gear and it brutally exposed the
one-dimensional and pedestrian half-court offence of their opponents.
Russia also contributed to their own downfall by losing their
discipline when a deliberate and senseless off the ball foul allowed
Belarus to stretch their lead to double digits. Read more 
Lithuania
produced a stunning late comeback to edge out Great Britain 64-63 in
the opening game of the second round of EuroBasket Women in Bydgsozcz.
Algiridis Paulaskas' side, trailing by as much as six in the fourth
quarter, delivered a 6-0 run in the closing three minutes to snatch a
win that effectively sends them into the quarter-finals. It was
heart-breaking for Great Britain who led for most of the game with a
gritty defensive performance that caught their more experienced rivals
off guard. And although Lithuania went on a 9-2 run to go ahead in the
opening quarter, what followed was unexpected and dramatic. Trading
leads six times in the first half, Britain went 32-30 in front at
half-time and pushed 40-34 clear midway through the third.
However Sandra Linkeviciene polished off a three-point play to cap an
8-0 run which took Lithuania 42-40 ahead with 4:07 left in the third.
Jo Leedham immediately hit a three-pointer in reply to start a British
response. Read more 
Revenge
is a great motivator, and France proved that on Wednesday night as they
blew away Spain at the EuroBasket Women in Katowice. Driven by the
agonizing memories of last year's overtime defeat to the Spaniards in
the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA World Championship for Women, a French
team that trailed by two in their Round 2, Group F opener going into
the last quarter stormed to a 79-55 victory. France lost Emmeline
Ndongue to a foot injury in the second quarter but Sandrine Gruda,
Endene Miyem and Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui made sure she wasn't missed.
Gruda had just two points at half-time but finished with a game-high 17
while Miyem finished with 16 and Yacoubou 10. Yacoubou, in one of her
best games in a France shirt, also had eight rebounds. France
out-rebounded Spain 37-22. Read more 
Polish
basketball dreams of another EuroBasket Women championship as the host
nation faded a little more on Wednesday with Latvia the latest side to
defeat them. Winners when they staged the event in 1999, Poland lost
for the third time in four games as they crashed to a 62-53 defeat to
the Latvians. Trailing by as many as eight points in the first half,
the Latvians showed for the third time in this tournament they know now
to play from behind in Katowice's Spodek Arena. If Elina Babkina was
Latvia's star in the overtime upset of France on Sunday when she scored
26 points, on Wednesday it was Latvia captain Gunta Basko and Kristine
Karklina to spark the Baltic side. Basko connected on three of her five
shots from long range and had 19 points and Karklina provided steel off
the bench at the playmaker position and finished with five points, six
rebounds, two assists and two steals. Read more 
Montenegro
weren't at their best but still marched to another victory at the
EuroBasket Women on Wednesday on the opening day of Round 2 action in
Katowice. Iva Perovanovic tore apart Croatia in the early going,
scoring 15 of her game-high 25 points in the first quarter, and
Montenegro cruised to an 81-60 victory. Perovanovic, one of the
standout performers in the competition so far, ended up with 15
rebounds. If the 1.88m center tormented Croatia in the first quarter
when her team built a 24-17 lead, Jelena Dubljevic turned on the style
in the second. In that frame, she poured in seven of her 16 points and
also pulled down five of her 10 rebounds. Croatia were their own worst
enemy because countless times Stipe Bralic's players penetrated into
the lane for uncontested lay-ups but missed most of them. Read more 
The
Polish national team beat Germany, 75-60, to ensure the EuroBasket
Women hosts will advance from the first round. Fresh off a thrashing by
Montenegro, the Poles broke open a close game midway through the third
quarter and pulled away for a decisive triumph over the Germans. Poland
center Ewelina Kobryn, heavily criticized after her sub-par performance
on Saturday, scored 16 points and hauled in nine rebounds on Sunday.
Battling Germany, the winners of the Additional Qualifying Tournament,
believed they had a great shot of upsetting the Poles after their
impressive effort against Spain on opening day. Read more 
Lithuania
slammed down a marker for the rest of the tournament after claiming a
super win against a crestfallen Russia in Bydgoszcz. To focus too
heavily on the woes of a Russian team that for longs spells again
laboured painfully to find cohesion would take away from what was a
hugely impressive display by Lithuania. Led by two stunning
contributions from Egle Sulciute and Ausra Bimbaite, they turned the
game on its head with some devastating outside shooting in a blistering
third quarter. Then, when Russia threatened to come back during the
final period, they showed real composure in down the stretch to safely
see out the game and ease their way into the second round. Read more 
Croatia
proved on Sunday that 24 hours is a very long time in basketball.
Utterly destroyed by defending champions France in their EuroBasket
Women Group D opener on Friday, Stipe Bralic's team hit back in grand
style and defeated Greece 65-63 with a daring drive and basket in the
closing seconds by captain Sandra Mandir. Croatia, who reeled off the
game's first 12 points and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter,
allowed the Greeks to come back in the fourth quarter and go in front.
Anna Spyridopoulou, a former youth international who came into her own
this season with Aris in the Greece domestic league and the EuroCup
Women, got off the bench early in the fourth quarter and hit
back-to-back three-balls to trim the deficit to 53-49. Read more 
Belarus
became the first Group B team to book a place in the second round of
EuroBasket Women 2011 with a comprehensive, if not completely emphatic,
68-41 victory over Israel in Bydgoszcz. And the World Championship
semi-finalists will now likely battle it out with the Czech Republic
for top spot in the pool when they meet on Monday evening. All signs
pointed towards a Belarussian cruise when two 7-0 runs in the first
quarter sent the group favourites 18-9 in front, their superior size
proving tough to handle. The Israelis have speed on their side and they
turned to their strengths, pushing the pace with Shay Doron capping a
flurry that put her side within two points midway through the second
quarter. Read more 
A
determined Turkey put their disappointing opening day loss to Lithuania
behind them to overpower Slovak Republic in Bydgoszcz with an
impressive and vibrant performance. They showed just what a difference
24 hours can make in tournament basketball since in stark contrast to
their terrible start on day one, , it was their turn to race out
of the blocks with three-successive triples helping them score the
first 11 points of the game. While Slovak Republic worked hard to get
themselves back into the game, Turkey always looked in control and
played with a real sense of purpose at both ends of the court. Birsel
Vardarli and Isil Alben both set the tone defensively and they made the
most of getting easy scores off turnovers with the rest of the team
also stepping up. Read more 
Montenegro
destroyed Poland 70-53 on the opening night of the EuroBasket Women in
Katowice's Spodek Arena. Making their first appearance in the Final
Round, Miodrag Baletic's team dominated in every aspect of the contest
and got contributions from a host of players. While naturalized
Montenegrin Anna De Forge had 18 points to lead all scorers, Iva
Perovanovic poured in 17 and hauled in eight boards. The return from
injury of Jelena Skerovic, who had 11 points, also helped Montenegro to
control the tempo and attack with precision in most of their half-court
sets, which is why the EuroBasket Women rookies shot 22 of 44 inside
the arc. Poland had no answer for Jelena Dubljevic, either. Read more 
They
may be notoriously slow starters, but Russia really did leave it late
when they tipped off their Group A campaign in Bydgoszcz and eventualy
snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the Slovak Republic.
With just seconds remaining, it had looked as if a shock was about to
materialise but Irina Ospiova saved the day with a big defensive play
at just the right time to stave off defeat. Few people had anticipated
Slovak Republic pushing Russia so close but to their credit, they
battled gallantly and looked the more likely winners for the majority
of the game. That was little consolation for Coach Hejkova who was
furious after the final buzzer and wondering how her team had let a
glorious opportunity slip through their fingers. Read more 
Group
B favourites Belarus began their EuroBasket quest with a 55-40 victory
over Great Britain in Bydgoszcz. And, paced by 10 points apiece from
Katsiaryna Sntysina and Anastasiya Verameyenka, there were enough signs
to suggest they are primed for an extended run at this tournament. The
2011 world championship semi-finalists found themselves under
unexpected pressure from the debutants in the opening period, Britain
opening the scoring through Chantelle Handy and then responding to
their first test by levelling at 8-8 through former WNBA Draftee Jo
Leedham. However a single free throw from Marina Kress put Belarus in
front for good with 2:44 left in the quarter and their top-level
experience was evident as they surged away from the 2012 Olympic hosts.
Read more 
Both
the young and old came up big for Spain on Saturday in Katowice in
their 79-69 EuroBasket Women Group C victory over Germany. Alba
Torrens, 21, razzled and dazzled her way to 18 points and 34-year-old
veterans Elisa Aguilar and Amaya Valdemoro poured in 17 and 16,
respectively, as Spain beat a very impressive and determined German
side that should give plenty of problems to their next two opponents,
Poland and Montenegro. Germany, who had to win the Additional
Qualifying Tournament just to reach the EuroBasket and are 42nd in the
FIBA World Rankings for Women - 37 below Spain - fought from start to
finish. Read more 
Lithuania
held off a late run from Turkey to claim a victorious start to their
EuroBasket challenge as they held off a battling Turkey 64-58 in the
opening game of Group A in Bydgoszcz. Now Algrirdas Paulaskas will have
to push his team even harder as they look ahead to their second pool
game against Russia on Sunday. Turkey emerged cold. Lithuania, the 1997
champions, took full advantage, using a 7-0 run to build a 19-12 lead
at the end of the first quarter. Another six unanswered points at the
start of the second threatened to create an insurmountable
deficit. However Saziye Ivegin stood up and refused to let the
Turks fall meekly away. Read more 
