Division A: France wins the Gold in Bucharest, Olivia Epoupa is MVP - Aug 5, 2012
Group Final
France - Russia 65-61 France won the Gold at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They failed in the Final against Belgium a year ago, but tonight France outsmarted Russia 65-61 taking the first place at this event. Russia had 44-48 lead at the beginning of the last quarter, but France created impressive 10-2 run after that for 54-50 with 6:10 remaining in the game. Mostly owing to Olivia Epoupa (168-PG-94), France jumped to 62-56 with 3 minutes left. All what Russia managed to do for rest of the way was minus 3 after triple by Byazrova, but Lidija Turcinovic (179-SG-94) answered with one free throw setting the score to the final 65-61. Quarters: 14-8, 11-18, 19-20, 21-15. Epoupa was a key player in victory with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. She reached valuation 25 and was named MVP of the tournament. Turcinovic (5 rebs) and Mousdandy Djaldi-Tabdi (184-F-95) helped France with 9 points each. In Russia, Alexandra Marchenkova (183-PF-94) shined with 20 points and 7 rebounds, and Julia Gladkova (183-F-94) had 11 pts, plus 5 rebs. Polina Fedorova (188-PF-95) had 10 points (5 rebs) and was their last player with double digits in scoring. Russia won the Silver in Bucharest, while the Bronze belongs to Serbia.
Bronze
Holland - Serbia 46-59 Serbia won the Bronze at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. The celebrated 59-46 victory against Holland in the game for third place. Serbia opened it with impressive 16-2 run and later finished first quarter with 22-9. Holland was not able to reply in the second period and faced with huge 39-17 deficit at the halftime. Serbia had no troubles to keep comfortable lead for rest of the way. Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) top-scored in Serbia with 15 points, and Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) helped with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Sanja Mandic (177-G-95) also had 11 points and 5 assists in this meeting, while Dragana Stankovic (188-PF-95) added 10 points and 8 boards. Holland got 10 points from Emese Hof (188-C-96) and their second scorer was Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) with 8 pts (8 rebs). Isabella Slim (181-F-95) and Yordi Kathmann (176-F-94) stopped to 7 points each. France won the Gold in Bucharest and Silver belongs to Russia.
Places 5-6
Turkey - Spain 60-71 Spain was better than Turkey 71-60 in the game for fifth place at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Position No.6 belongs to Turkey. Spain had wonderful beginning of the game as they made 24-8 lead in the first quarter. Turkey improved after that, but still Spain was strong enough to keep the comfortable lead and even to increase it. They had 69-49 with 2:29 remaining in the game. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) scored 13 points for the winners, while Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) (6 rebs) and Marta Montoliu (182-G-94) added 12 points each. In Turkey, Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) was the leading scorer with 16 points. Elif Emirtekin (184-F-94) (7 rebs) and Gizem Sezer (196-C-94) (6 rebs) posted 10 points each. France grabbed the Gold in Bucharest after 65-61 win against Russia. The Bronze belongs to Serbia.
Places 7-8
Croatia - Italy 72-49 Croatia finished U18 EuroBasket with 72-49 victory against Italy. It was a game for the seventh place in Bucharest. Croatia made 25-9 lead already in the first quarter. Italy closed the gap to 11 pts until the halftime, but Croatia took control on its rival after that and with 19-9 in Q3 resolved question about the winner. Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) led Croatia with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Anja Majstorovic (184-SF-94) and Iva Cigic (174-PG-94) followed her with 14 points each. In Italy, Ilaria Milazzo (167-PG-94) was better than the others with 11 points and Elisa Penna (185-F-95) added 9 pts, plus 8 rebs. Francesca Minali (185-C-94) was limited to 6 points. France won the Gold in Bucharest. Silver belongs to Russia and Bronze to Serbia.
Places 9-10
Sweden - Slovakia 55-70 Slovakia finished as ninth ranked team of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They cruised past Sweden in the last day of the competition. Sweden ended as No.10. Slovakia won all four quarters in this game (18-15, 19-16, 15-13, 18-11). Angelika Slamova (173-G-94) was the leading player in Slovakia with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Michaela Rakova (187-F-94) had 14 points and 7 rebs, while Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) added 13 pts. In Sweden, Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) (10 rebs) and Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) posted 14 points each. Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) collected 13 points and 5 rebs. In the battle for Gold, France was better than Russia 65-61. Serbia won the Bronze in Bucharest.
Places 11-12
Slovenia - Greece 55-58 Greece grabbed 58-55 win against Slovenia in the last day of U18 EuroBasket. It was a game for 11th place in Bucharest and it belongs to Greece. Slovenia ended as No.12. Greece made 10-point lead in the first quarter and jumped to plus 19 until the breather. Slovenia drastically improved after that, but Greece was strong enough to keep the lead until the end. Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) scored 18 points for the winners and Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) added 12 points, plus 8 rebounds. Vasiliki Fouraki (183-F-95) followed them with 11 points and 5 rebs. In Slovenia, Barbara Sut (179-PF-94) was better than the others with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Alina Gjerkes (177-F-94) (8 rebs) and Sara Meden (170-PG-94) (5 as) posted 11 points each. France is the gold medal winner in Bucharest. Silver belongs to Russia and Bronze to Serbia.
Group G
Romania - Poland 36-76 Poland destroyed Romania in the last day of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Poland finished as the second ranked team of Group G with 3-3 record. However, that is not enough for the survival in Division A. Romania (0-6) is the last ranked team at this event and of course also faced with relegation to Division B. Poland took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 22-12, 28-11, 12-9, 14-4. Karolina Puss (182-SF-94) shined in victory with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Julia Adamowicz (178-SF-94) scored 13 points and Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) had 11. In defeat, Cristina Gavrila (172-G-95) was better than the others with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) had 10 points and Kinga Domokos (188-F/C-94) stopped to 6. Czech Republic is the winner of Group G with perfect 6-0 record. They survived in Division A.
Belgium - Czech Republic 60-64 Czech Republic survived in U18 EuroBasket Division A. They outplayed Belgium in the last day of the competition 64-60 to win Group G with perfect 6-0 record. Belgium ended as No.3 of this pool with 3-3 record and faced with relegation to Division B. Romania and Poland are also relegated. Czech Republic exploded after the breather and later its players were focused in the finish to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 10-25, 10-11, 30-13, 14-11. Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) led the winners with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Anna Hruskova (179-F-95) had 13 points and 10 boards, while Gabriela Lachnitova (176-PG-94) added 12 pts. In the loosing squad, Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) shined with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Manon Humblet (182-C/F-94) scored 9 and Justine Tabruyn (174-PG-95) netted 8 pts. France won the Gold in Bucharest and Silver belongs to Russia. Serbia took the Bronze.
Division A, Day 7: Serbia, Russia, France and Holland advance to the Semis - Aug 4, 2012
QUARTERFINALS
Spain - Serbia 60-64 Serbia shocked Spain in the last quarter to take 64-60 victory in the Quarterfinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. It means that Serbia advanced to the Semis, where they will meet Russia. Spain will continue in Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. Serbia was down by 6 after 30 minutes of play, but they opened last period with 9-2 run. Teams were tied at 57-57 with 3:39 to go, after what Katarina Vuckovic (191-F/C-94) and Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) lifted Serbia to plus 4. Spain struggled offensively in the finish, while at the other side Stanacev sealed the victory from the FT line. Quarters: 12-8, 15-27, 16-14, 21-11. Vuckovic (9 rebs) and Kovacevic (7 rebs) led the winners with 14 points each. Kristina Topuzovic (182-G/F-94) added 12 points and 9 boards. In defeat, Leticia Romero (177-G-95) answered with 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Patricia Soler (185-C-94) (7 rebs) and Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) netted 12 points each. Championship continues today.
France - Croatia 51-43 France advanced to the Semifinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They eliminated Croatia 51-43 in the QFinals on Friday. France shined in the last ten minutes of the game to take the victory. Quarters: 11-14, 8-7, 17-14, 15-8. Lidija Turcinovic (179-SG-94) top-scored for the winners with 13 points and Olivia Epoupa (168-PG-94) helped with double-double of 10 points, plus 13 boards. Marieme Badiane (190-F/C-94) added 9 pts and 13 rebs. At the other side, Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) collected 20 points ad 10 rebounds. The last player with double digits in scoring in Croatia was Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) with 10 points (9 rebs). France will meet Holland in the Semifinals. Croatia will continue in Classification Games from 5th to 8th place. Their first rival will be Turkey.
Italy - Russia 42-64 Russia had no troubles to beat Italy 64-42 in the Quarterfinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Russia advanced to the Semis and will meet Serbia in the battle for the title game. Italy will be transferred to Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. Their first rival will be Spain. Russia took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 18-9, 22-13, 9-9, 15-11. Zhanna Byazrova (178-G/F-94) top-scored in victory with 13 points and Alexandra Marchenkova (183-PF-94) added 12 pts, plus 9 rebs. Olga Novikova (177-G-94) collected 11 points and 5 boards. Italy got 15 points from Elena Ramo' (180-F-94) and she was their only player with double digits in scoring. Elisa Penna (185-F-95) had 8 points and 10 boards. Championship continues today.
Holland - Turkey 77-69 2OT Holland is in the Semifinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They celebrated 77-69 double overtime win against Turkey on Friday. Holland will meet France in the Semis, while Turkey goes to Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. In the first game Turkey will take on Croatia. During the regulation time Turkey had fought back from an early double-digit deficit to get their noses in front midway through the fourth quarter, when the Netherlands were experiencing a real offensive drought. But, they couldn't see it through and Treffers finished an and-one' play to tie the game up at 55-55, before Isabella Slim (181-F-95) had the chance to make a last gasp triple but rimmed out. During overtime the momentum seemed to be with the Netherlands but they too looked like they might have blown it, when a jump-shot by Deniz Dogan (176-SF-94) forced the second extra period. In the end, the Netherlands always looked slightly the more assured side, and they finally made what turned out to be the game-winning run. Quarters: 18-9, 8-13, 18-19, 6-6 OT1, 11-14 OT2. Lisanne de Jonge (181-F-95) stepped up for the winners with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Isabella Slim (9 rebs) and Laura Cornelius (174-PG-96) (7 rebs) netted 15 points each. In the loosing squad, Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) collected 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) added 12 pts, plus 6 rebs. Deniz Dogan stopped to 11 pts in this meeting. Championship continues today.
Places 9-12
Sweden - Slovenia 68-58 Sweden is close to reach the ninth place at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 68-58 loss to Slovenia and will meet Slovakia tomorrow in decisive game for position No.9. At the other side, Slovenia will take on Greece in the game for 11th place. Sweden exploded after the breather to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 14-15, 11-17, 20-9, 23-17. Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) shined for the winners with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) followed her with 22 points and 5 boards, while third scorer in victory was Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) with just 5 pts (10 rebs). Slovenia got 18 points and 7 rebounds from Eva Lisec (191-C-95), and Anita Kastelic (172-G-94) posted 10 pts. Vesna Sever (180-F-94) had 7 points for 10 minutes on the court. Both teams will take a rest today.
Slovakia - Greece 81-48 Slovakia had an easy job against Greece on Friday. Slovakians celebrated huge 81-48 win and will meet Sweden in the game for 9th place at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. After this loss, Greece will try to reach position No.11. However, it won't be easy as their rival will be Slovenia. Slovakia was up by 10 at the halftime and jumped to plus 22 with ten minutes remaining. Quarters: 17-14, 17-10, 25-13, 22-11. Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) was the leading player in victory with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Michaela Rakova (187-F-94) had 14 points and 8 rebs, while Terezia Palenikova (170-G/F-95) and Angelika Slamova (173-G-94) netted 11 points each. Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) answered with 20 points in defeat. Styliani Fouraki (186-C-94) was their second scorer with only 6 points. Both teams will take a rest today.
Group G
Czech Republic - Romania 70-67 Czech Republic grabbed 70-67 victory against Romania thanks to wonderful finish. Czech Republic was down by 7 points with only 40 seconds remaining in the game, but Romania missed 2 shots after that, received one block and made one turnover, while its rival made two triples and two jump shots for impressive 10-0 run which brought them victory in this meeting. Quarters: 13-12, 15-13, 17-17, 25-25. After this win Czech Republic jumped to 4-0 record in Group G and they are very close to survive in Division A. Romania already faced with relegation (0-4). Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) led the winners with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and Veronika Havlikova (172-F-94) netted 15 pts. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) had 14 pts and 5 boards. In defeat, Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) shined with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) also had 16 pts and 6 rebs, while Alexandra Dumitrache (170-PG-94) followed with 11 pts and 5 assists. Czech Republic will meet Poland today. Romania will play against Belgium.
Belgium - Poland 56-64 Poland handed 64-56 loss to Belgium on Friday and both teams have 2-2 record now in Group G of U18 EuroBasket. Teams in this group fight for the survival in Division A. However, only the winner will make it and Czech Republic already has 4-0 record. Poland shined after the breather to beat Belgium in this game. Quarters: 12-14, 14-17, 24-13, 14-12. Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) led the winners with 17 points. Anna Jakubiuk (179-G/F-94) helped with double-double of 11 points and 11 rebs, while Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) and Katarzyna Jaworska (188-F/C-94) added 8 points each. In Belgium, Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) collected 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Manon Humblet (182-C/F-94) followed with 16 points and 9 boards. Today, Poland will meet Czech Republic. Romania will take on Belgium.
Division A, Day 8: France and Russia will play in Final - Aug 4, 2012
Semifinals
Serbia - Russia 69-75 Russia will play in U18 European Championship Final. They knocked down Serbia to reach the title game. Zhanna Byazrova (178-G/F-94) came up with 20 points to lead the winners. Serbia jumped to an early lead. They established a 17:13 advantage after ten minutes. The teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter. Serbia ensured a 37:33 halftime advantage. Russia cut the deficit in the third term. They got within three points at the final intermission 56:53. Novikova finally tied things up at 66 midway through the fourth frame. Zhanna Byazrova then hit a three-pointer to ignite a 9:0 run that propelled Russia to a 75:68 lead. Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) answered with a free throw but Serbia ran out of time to restore the intrigue. Albina Razheva (188-PF-94) accounted for 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Julia Gladkova added 12 points for the winners. Aleksandra Stanacev answered with 23 points for Serbia. Kristina Topuzovic netted 14 points in the loss.
France - Holland 60-47 France registered a comfortable win over Netherlands in the U18 European Championship semifinal. Aby Gaye (193-C-95) and Lidija Turcinovic (179-SG-94) scored 14 points each to lead the winners. France will now take on Russia in the championship game in Bucharest. Netherlands will face Serbia in consolation final. France limited their opponents to 6 points in the opening quarter to take an 11-point lead. Netherlands however stiffened defence and narrowed the gap in the second quarter. The Dutch team trailed by just 4 points at halftime 22:29. Netherlands spurred in front in the third term. They used a 16:0 run to take a 37:28 lead. France faced an 8-point deficit heading into the fourth stanza 32:40. However Les Bleus opened the final term with a 17:2 run to take a 49:42 advantage. France did not loosen the grip afterwards cruising to the victory. Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) had 12 points, while Epoupa added 11 points for the winners. Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) responded with 12 points and 11 rebounds for Netherlands. Emese Hof and Laura Cornelius netted 8 points each in the loss.
Places 5-8
Croatia - Turkey 43-92 Turkey will play for the fifth place at the U18 European Championship. They defeated Croatia in Bucharest to set up the clash versus Spain. Turkey stunned their opponents in the opening quarter. They recorded a 21:9 lead after ten minutes. The gap keep on growing in the second quarter. Turkey accumulated a 45:16 halftime lead. Turkey poured in 29 points in the third term to extend the margin to as many as 46 points. Turkey did not slow down in the fourth frame and rolled to the victory at the end. Elif Emirtekin (184-F-94) scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to pace Turkey. Deniz Dogan (176-SF-94) added 13 points, while Fahriye Bayraktar had 12 points in the victory. Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) answered with 11 points and 9 rebounds for Croatia. Antonija Chiabov had 9 points in the loss. Spain - Italy 75-61 Spain defeated Italy today at U18 European Championship. They will now face Turkey for the fifth place at the tourney. Italy will wrap up their campaign in Bucharest against Croatia tomorrow. Spain eked out a 19:15 lead at the first break. Italy did not allow Spain to clear off. The Azzurri cut the deficit to two points at halftime 39:37. Spain adjusted their defence in the third term. They held Italy to 14 points in the quarter and secured a 5-point lead heading into the fourth frame. Spain went on a 19:10 run in the fourth frame to seal a comfortable win at the end. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) scored 27 points to pace the winners. Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) added 11 points, while Leticia Romero had 10 points for Spain. Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) answered with 12 points for Italy. Elena Ramo' had 10 points in defeat.
Group G
Romania - Belgium 45-98 Belgium celebrated a comfortable win over Romania in classification round Group G of U18 European Championship. Belgium improved at 3-2 record, while the hosts slipped at 0-5 record in the ladder. Heleen Adams (173-SF-94) led the winners with 20 points. Belgium jumped to an early lead. They accumulated a 26:9 advantage at the first intermission. Belgium extended the lead in the second quarter. They secured a massive 54:13 halftime lead. Romania struggled to pick up the tempo in the third quarter. Belgium stretched the margin to as many as 46 points heading into the fourth frame. Belgium outgunned the home team in the final stanza to celebrate a well-deserved win at the end. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) knocked down 14 points, while Antonia Delaere added 12 points for the winners. Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) answered with 17 points for Romania. Iulia Raileanu posted 15 points in the loss.
Poland - Czech Republic 54-58 Czech Republic secured U18 European Championship Division A place for the next season. They won classification round Group G to avoid relegation. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as Czech Republic prevailed against Poland in the decisive game. Poland were up by one point at the first intermission 13:12. Czech Republic surged ahead in the second quarter. They posted a 30:28 halftime lead. Poland retained the lead in the third term. They held Czech Republic to 8 points in the period and ensured a 6-point lead at the final intermission. Karolina Severova and Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) drained triples early in the final period as Czech Republic cut the distance to three points. Kamila Hoskova and Opocenska gave Czech Republic a 53:52 lead with less then two minutes to go. Wozniak put Poland in front but the Czech team answered with three free throws in the dying seconds to steal victory. Sarka Jozova finished with 10 points, while Karolina Severova added 8 points for the winners. Julia Adamowicz (178-SF-94) answered with 17 points for Poland. Dominika Owczarzak had 12 points in the loss.
Division A, Day 6: Quarterfinals are set in Bucharest - Aug 2, 2012
Group E
Russia - Sweden 70-65 Russia outplayed Sweden 70-65 in do-or-die game on Wednesday. Thanks to this victory Russia finished as the fourth ranked team in Group E with 3-2 record and it is enough for the Quarterfinals. At the other side, Sweden dropped to 1-4 ending as No.5 in this pool. They failed to reach the next stage and will continue in Classification Round from 9th to 13th places. Russia was down by 5 at the halftime, but managed to take minimum lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Sweden shined at the beginning of Q4 and quickly made 3-9 run for 55-60 lead, but Russia tied the score at 65-65 with 1:17 to go. Novikova drained a triple soon after that and Albina Razheva (188-PF-94) connected two free throws, while Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) and Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) missed twice at the other side. Quarters: 15-12, 17-25, 20-14, 18-14. Alexandra Marchenkova (183-PF-94) paced Russia with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Razheva had double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Julia Gladkova (183-F-94) added 13 pts, plus 7 rebs. In defeat, Hersler shined with 20 points and 12 boards, and Hanson netted 15 points (5 rebs). Their third scorer was Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) with 14 pts. In the Quarterfinals, Russia will meet Italy. Sweden will play against Slovenia in the first game of the Classification Round.
Turkey - France 54-63 France is the winner of Group E at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 63-54 loss to Turkey in the last day of the second stage to finish with almost perfect 4-1 record. Of course France advanced to the Quarterfinals, where they will meet Croatia. Turkey also heads to QFinal, but as No.3 in this pool with 3-2 score. Their rival will be Holland. France exploded in the last ten minutes to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 16-9, 12-18, 16-13, 10-23. Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) led France with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Aby Gaye (193-C-95) added 13 points and also 10 rebs. Marieme Badiane (190-F/C-94) was their third player with double-double: 10 pts, 12 boards. In Turkey, Elif Emirtekin (184-F-94) answered with 15 points (5 rebs), while Gizem Sezer (196-C-94) scored 11 pts (5 rebs). Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) followed them with 10 pts. Quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday.
Spain - Greece 76-36 As expected, Spain was too strong for Greece 76-36 in the last day of the second stage at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Spain finished as the second ranked team of Group E with almost perfect 4-1 score and advanced to the Quarterfinals. There, Spain will play against Serbia. Greece closes the standings in this pool with 0-5 and will continue in Classification Round. Greece will fight for 9th position in Bucharest and its first rival will be Slovakia. Spain took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 28-7, 13-12, 20-6, 15-11. Irene Gari (184-F-94) top-scored in victory with 14 points. Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) netted 9 points, while Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) and Marles Balart (185-F/C-94) posted 8 points each. In the loosing squad, Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) answered with 17 points in defeat. Nikolina Ioannidou (174-SG-94) scored 7 and Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) stopped to 6 pts. All teams will take a rest today and will continue with games on Friday.
Group F
Italy - Holland 64-56 Italy closed second stage at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest with 64-56 win over Holland. It was a game for the first place in Group F and it belongs to Italy now. Both teams ended with 3-2 record, but Holland is No.2. Third and fourth ranked Serbia and Croatia have the same score and all of them advanced to the Quarterfinals. Holland exploded in the second quarter (4-19) to take 14-point lead at the halftime, but Italy replied with 21-11 in Q3 and continued in the same rhythm for rest of the way (22-10) celebrating 8-point win at the end. Elena Ramo' (180-F-94) and Erica Reggiani (175-G-94) (6 as) scored 15 and 14 points respectively in Italy. Marida Orazzo (175-F/G-94) helped with 10 pts. In defeat, Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) was much better than the others with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Isabella Slim (181-F-95) (8 rebs) and Britt Zappeij (184-C-95) had 9 and 8 pts in this meeting. Quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, when Italy will play against Russia. Holland's rival will be Turkey.
Serbia - Slovakia 71-56 It was a do-or-die game for both teams. Serbia cruised to 71-56 victory and booked a spot for the Quarterfinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Serbia finished as third ranked team of Group F with 3-2 record. At the other side, Slovakia slipped to fifth place with 2-3 and will continue in Classification Round. Slovakia will play two more games at this event and they will end as No.9 if they win both. Serbia was up by 7-points at the halftime and jumped to plus 10 at the end of Q3. Slovakia was not able to reply and later faced with 15-point loss. Quarters: 18-15, 18-14, 15-12, 20-15. Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) was a key player in victory with 24 points and 5 rebounds. Sanja Mandic (177-G-95) and Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) scored 11 and 10 points respectively. In Slovakia, Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) had double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) scored 18 points and Michaela Rakova (187-F-94) had 9 pts, plus 10 rebs. All teams will take a rest today. On Friday, Serbia will meet Spain in the Quarterfinals. Slovakia will play against Greece in Classification Round.
Croatia - Slovenia 77-40 Croatia celebrated 77-40 crucial win against Slovenia in the last day of U18 EuroBasket. Thanks to this win Croatia jumped to 3-2 record and finished as fourth ranked team in Group F. That is enough for the Quarterfinals. Slovenia failed to advance and they actually close the standings in this pool with 1-4. Slovenia will be transferred to Classification Round from 9th to 12th places. Croatia made 7-point lead in the first ten minutes and increased it to 14 at the halftime. Croatia 'humiliated' Slovenia after the breather (26-3, Q3) and all after that was just the formality. Inja Butina (170-PG-95) (6 rebs) scored 21 points for the winners and Ivana Dujic (170-PG-95) had 16. Andrijana Cvitkovic (189-PF-94) collected 15 points and 10 rebs. Slovenia got 23 points and 7 boards from Maja Bosnjak (186-PF-95). Their second scorer was Vesna Sever (180-F-94) with only 6 points. Croatia will play against France on Friday (QFinals). Slovenia will meet Sweden in Classification Round.
Group G
Czech Republic - Belgium 64-62 Czech Republic jumped to 3-0 record in Group G of U18 EuroBasket. They grabbed very valuable 64-62 win against Belgium making another huge step toward survival in Division A. Belgium slipped to 2-1 after this loss and only the winner of Group G will avoid relegation. Havlikova's two free throws lifted Czech Republic to 64-60 lead with 12 seconds remaining in the game. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) quickly responded with 2 free throws at the other side, but Czech Republic managed to keep the possession for rest of the way and to celebrate 64-62 win. Quarters: 14-19, 19-9, 13-19, 18-15. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) led her country with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Karolina Severova (182-PF-94) and Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) netted 12 points each. In the loosing squad, Ben Abdelkader responded with 27 points and 6 rebounds, while Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) added 18 points and 7 rebs. Camille Lebrun (174-SF-94) posted 9 pts for 12 minutes on the court. All teams will take a rest today. On Friday, Czech Republic will meet Romania, while Belgium will take on Poland.
Poland - Romania 82-62 Poland finally registered its first win in Group G of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 82-62 loss to the home squad for 1-2 record in this pool. After this win Poland is theoretically still 'in' for the survival in Division A, but it will be very hard to do as Czech Republic already jumped to 3-0 and only the winner of this pool will avoid relegation. Romania dropped to 0-3 and they will definitely play in Division B next summer. Poland shined in first and third period to take the victory in this game (22-8, 22-28, 24-13, 14-13). Kinga Wozniak (168-G-94) scored 14 points in Poland, while Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) and Angelika Stankiewicz (170-SG-95) posted 12 points each. The hosts got 14 points and 6 rebounds from Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95). Kinga Domokos (188-F/C-94) and Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) (6 rebs) posted 12 and 10 rebounds respectively. Thursday is a day-off in Bucharest. On Friday, Poland will play against Belgium and Romania will meet Czech Republic.
Division A: Day Five in Bucharest - Jul 31, 2012
Group E
France - Russia 58-68 Russia grabbed very important 68-58 win against France on Tuesday. Thanks to this victory Russia improved to 2-2 record in Group E of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. At the other side, it was the first loss for France, who has 3-1 now. Russia will meet Sweden in do-or-die game on Wednesday. The winner will advance to the next stage. Julia Gladkova (183-F-94) led Russia with 17 points and Albina Razheva (188-PF-94) had 16 pts, plus 6 boards against France. Olga Novikova (177-G-94) helped with 10 points and 9 rebounds. In defeat, Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) scored 16 points and Aby Gaye (193-C-95) had double-double of 13 pts and 13 rebs. Olivia Epoupa (168-PG-94) stopped to 8 pts in this meeting. Russia had 2-point lead after 30 minutes, after what they shined in Q4 to hand France the first loss. Quarters: 21-11, 14-19, 10-13, 23-15). As mentioned above, Russia's next rival will be Sweden. France will meet Turkey and still hopes to win the first place in Group E.
Greece - Sweden 56-58 Both teams had 0-3 record in Group E of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Sweden grabbed 58-56 victory mostly thanks to Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94), who scored their last five points in the game. Greece had the last possession with only 3 seconds left, but Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) was unable to score for 3. Sweden has 1-3 record now and will meet Russia on Wednesday in do-or-die game. The winner will advance to Quarterfinals. Hersler scored 23 points and pulled down 9 rebounds on Tuesday. Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) scored 12 points and Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) added 9 pts, plus 13 boards. At the other side, Greece got 18 points and 5 rebs from Stamolamprou. Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) (5 rebs) and Vasiliki Tarla (181-SF-94) (6 rebs) netted 10 and 9 points respectively. Quarters: 14-19, 15-15, 11-9, 16-15. Greece will play against Spain in the last game of the second stage in Bucharest.
Spain - Turkey 78-53 Spain demonstrated wonderful performance against Turkey on Tuesday in Bucharest. Spain celebrated 78-53 win and joined its rival with 3-1 record in Group E of U18 EuroBasket. Both teams already booked a ticket for the Quarterfinals, but thanks to this win Spain will most likely end as No.1 in the group. Spain took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 23-16, 26-15, 20-9, 9-13. Maria Arrojo (186-F-85) led the winners with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) also scored 18 pts and Irene Gari (184-F-94) helped with 13. In defeat, Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) was better than the others with 18 points. Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) was their second scorer with 9 pts. Wednesday is the last day of the second stage in Bucharest. Spain will meet Greece, while Turkey will play against France.
Group F
Holland - Serbia 68-66 OT Holland grabbed 68-66 thriller win against Serbia jumping to 3-1 record in Group F of the second stage at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Thanks to this victory Holland booked a spot for the Quarterfinals. Serbia dropped to 2-2 in this pool, but they still have a chance to advance. Serbia will have to beat Slovakia on Wednesday in do-or-die game. Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) stepped up for Holland with 19 points and 9 rebounds, while Isabella Slim (181-F-95) helped with 14 points. Laura Cornelius (174-PG-96) shined with double-double of 12 points and 13 rebs. In Serbia, Sanja Mandic (177-G-95) had 20 points and 6 rebounds, and Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) added 11 pts, 7 rebs and 5 assists. Third scorer in defeat was Jovana Vidakovic (171-PG-94) with 10 points. Cornelius made a triple for Holland setting the score to 60-60 with 49 seconds left in regular time, after what both teams were scoreless so the game went to OT. Kathmann and Cornelius lifted Holland to 68-66 with 12 seconds remaining in OT, but Serbia had the last possession. Kovacevic tried to score from behind the arc, but she missed and Vidakovic grabbed offensive rebound after that. Stanacev also tried for 3 at the buzzer, but it was another miss and Holland booked a spot for the Quarterfinals. In the next game, Holland will meet Italy.
Slovenia - Slovakia 54-72 Slovakia handed 72-54 loss to Slovenia on Tuesday in Bucharest. Thanks to this win Slovakia improved to 2-2 record in Group F of the second stage and kept its Quarterfinals hopes alive. Slovakia will meet Serbia in do-or-die game on Wednesday. The winner will end as No.4 in this pool and will book a spot for the QFinals. At the other side, Slovenia dropped to 1-3 with no chance to advance. Slovakia had 10-point lead at the halftime and later shined in Q4 to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 20-15, 15-10, 15-20, 22-9. Angelika Slamova (173-G-94) stepped up for the winners with 18 points and Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) added 17 pts, plus 9 boards. Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) collected 14 pts, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in this victory. In defeat, Sara Meden (170-PG-94) top-scored with 18 points. Eva Lisec (191-C-95) had 15 pts and 10 boards, while Nina Gabrovsek (168-PG-94) stopped to 6 points and 6 rebs. Wednesday is the last day of the second stage in Bucharest. Slovenia will play against Croatia.
Croatia - Italy 75-56 Croatia outplayed Italy 75-56 in very important game in Bucharest. Both teams now have 2-2 record in Group F of the second stage at U18 EuroBasket and both have a good chance to reach the Quarterfinals. Lana Packovski (170-G-94) top-scored in Croatia with 20 points and Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) added 17 points, plus 10 rebounds. Ruzica Dzankic (179-SF-94) followed them with 16 points and 5 rebs. In Italy, Elisa Penna (185-F-95) shined with 22 points (5/5 for 3-pts). Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) (6 rebs) and Ilaria Milazzo (167-PG-94) netted 9 and 8 points respectively. Quarters: 19-14, 21-12, 15-17, 20-13. In the last day of the second stage Croatia will meet Slovenia. Italy's rival will be Holland. Four of six teams from Group F will book a spot for the Quarterfinals and only Slovenia is without the chance to do it.
Group G
Czech Republic - Poland 63-52 Czech Republic registered its second straight win in Group F of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 63-52 loss to Poland on Tuesday. Czech Republic has 2-0 record now in this pool, while Poland dropped to 0-2. Only the group winner will survive in Division A. Mariana Opocenska (184-PF-95) shined for Czech Republic with 16 points and 6 rebounds, and Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) helped with 13 points and 6 rebs. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) netted 10 points. Poland got 12 points from Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) and Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) had 11 pts, plus 7 rebs. Their third scorer was Angelika Stankiewicz (170-SG-95) with 8 points. Quarters: 16-13, 16-9, 14-20, 17-10. In the next game, Czech Republic will meet also undefeated Belgium. Poland will play against the host - Romania (0-2).
Belgium - Romania 84-44 Belgium destroyed Romania 84-44 in the second game of Group G in Bucharest. Belgium jumped to 2-0 in this pool staying on top of it, together with Czech Republic. At the other side, Romania dropped to 0-2. The host of U18 EuroBasket is in very difficult situation now and most likely will face with relegation to Division B. Only the winner of Group G will survive in Division A. Belgium made 27-point lead at the halftime and all after that was just the formality. Quarters: 21-10, 23-7, 19-10, 21-17. Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) scored 19 points and Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) had two less for the winners. Axelle Bernard (183-C-95) collected 8 pts and 10 rebs. In Romania, Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) had 10 points and Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) added 8 pts, plus 10 rebs. In the next game, Belgium will meet Czech Republic. Romania will take on also winless Poland.
Division A, Day 4: Beginning of the Second Stage - Jul 30, 2012
Group E
Sweden - Turkey 58-60 Turkey grabbed 60-58 thriller win against Sweden top open the second stage at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Sweden had 58-57 lead with 1:14 remaining in the game, after what Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) made a lay-up for Turkey. Anita Ilic (169-PG-94) missed a triple for Sweden and Sezer was sent to the line. She missed first, but closed this game with successful second free throw setting the score to final 60-58. Quarters: 17-12, 13-16, 18-21, 10-11. Pelin Bilgic led the winners with 21 points and Elif Emirtekin (184-F-94) added 13 points, plus 12 rebounds. Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) collected 11 points and 7 boards. In defeat, Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) had 17 points and 6 rebs, and Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) scored 15 points. Their third scorer was Anita Ilic with 9 pts. Thanks to this victory Turkey jumped to 3-0 in Group E and already booked a ticket for the Quarterfinals. Turkey dropped to 0-3. Championship continues tomorrow.
Greece - France 42-64 France booked a ticket for the Quarterfinals of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. It was the opening game of Stage Two and France blasted Greece 64-42 for 3-0 record in Group E. At the other side, Greece dropped to 0-3 and still hopes to reach the Quarterfinals. France made 9-point lead in the first quarter and later limited Greece to 6 pts in the last ten minutes on the game, while scoring 16 at the other side. Second and third period were pretty leveled. Mamignan Toure (179-SG-94) poured in 16 points and Olivia Epoupa (168-PG-94) had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in victory. Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) collected 8 points and 7 rebs. Greece got 12 points and 9 rebs from Styliani Fouraki (186-C-94). Vasiliki Tarla (181-SF-94) stopped to 8 points and 8 rebs. Championship continues tomorrow, when France will meet Russia. Greece will play very important game against Sweden. Four of six teams from Group E will reach the QFinals.
Russia - Spain 66-92 Spain demonstrated wonderful performance at the beginning of the second stage in Bucharest. They destroyed Russia with huge 92-66 for 2-1 record in Group E of U18 EuroBasket. Thanks to this victory Spain made a big step towards Quarterfinals. Russia slipped to 1-2 in this pool and still has a chance to advance. Spain took control on its rival in the second period and never looked back (16-15, 22-14, 32-15, 22-22). Leticia Romero (177-G-95) (5 rebs) scored 17 points for the winners and Maria Arrojo (186-F-85) (7 rebs) had one less. Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) collected 14 points and 7 rebounds. Russia got 13 points from Julia Gladkova (183-F-94) and 12 pts, plus 16 rebs from Albina Razheva (188-PF-94). Ekaterina Safonova (165-PG-95) stopped to 9 points. Spain will meet Turkey tomorrow. Russia will play against France.
Group F
Serbia - Croatia 75-63 Serbia made a big step towards Quarterfinals in Bucharest. They handed 75-63 loss to Croatia in their opening game of Stage Two at U18 EuroBasket. After this win Serbia jumped to 2-1 in Group F, while Croatia fell to 1-2. Third quarter was the crucial one in this meeting. Croatia was up by 3 at the halftime, but Serbia created 21-7 in Q3 and later managed to keep the lead for rest of the way. Serbia reached plus 17 during the last ten minutes. Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) shined with 19 points and 8 assists in victory, while Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) and Dragana Stankovic (188-PF-95) (7 rebs) posted 14 and 13 points respectively. Andrijana Cvitkovic (189-PF-94) answered with 19 points and 7 rebounds in loss. Lana Packovski (170-G-94) (5 rebs) and Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) (8 rebs) netted 13 and 10 pts respectively. Serbia will play against Holland tomorrow and it could be the crucial game for the Quarterfinals. Croatia will take on Italy (2-1).
Slovakia - Italy 59-54 Both teams had 1-1 record in Group F before this meeting. Slovakia opened second stage of U18 EuroBasket with 59-54 win over Italy. Slovakia had 49-40 lead with 7:37 remaining in the game, but Italy made 2-9 run after that. Terezia Palenikova (170-G/F-95) finally answered for Slovakia and Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) joined her setting the score to 55-49 with 2 minutes left. Italy came to minus 2, but Balintova had no mercy from the free throw line in the finish. Quarters: 17-11, 15-16, 15-11, 12-16. Palenikova scored 14 points in victory and Balintova had 2 points less. Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) helped with double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. Erica Reggiani (175-G-94) scored 15 points in loss and Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) had 10. Francesca Minali (185-C-94) followed them with 8 points and 10 boards. Slovakia will take on Slovenia in the next game. Italy will meet Croatia tomorrow.
Slovenia - Holland 57-51 Holland is no more undefeated at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Slovenia downed its rival today 57-51 for 1-2 record in Group F of the second stage. At the same time, Holland slipped to 2-1 in this pool. Holland was up by 9 with ten minutes remaining in the game, but Slovenia totally took control on them after that. Slovenians limited Holland to just 5 points for the entire Q4, while scoring 20 pts at the other side for the final 57-51 victory. Quarters: 18-22, 11-9, 8-15, 20-5. Alina Gjerkes (177-F-94) top-scored in Slovenia with 12 points, while Anita Kastelic (172-G-94) (6 rebs) and Nina Gabrovsek (168-PG-94) (5 rebs) netted 9 points each. Eva Lisec (191-C-95) had a great game with 8 points and 15 rebounds. Laura Cornelius (174-PG-96) answered with 11 points and 7 rebs in defeat. Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) followed with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Slovenia's rival tomorrow will be Slovakia. Holland will meet Serbia. Four of six teams from Group F will advance to the Quarterfinals.
Group G
Poland - Belgium 43-49 Belgium celebrated it its first game in Group G of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They downed Poland 49-43 for 1-0 record. Teams in this pool fight for the survival in Division A and only the winner will make it. Romania and Czech Republic are also placed to this group. Camille Lebrun (174-SF-94) and Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) (5 rebs) led Belgium with 12 and 11 points respectively. Poland got 11 points from Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) and Angelika Stankiewicz (170-SG-95). Belgium had 44-34 lead at the beginning of the last quarter and Poland was not able to come any closer than 6 pts for rest of the way. Quarters: 10-11, 11-11, 11-16, 11-11. Championship continues tomorrow. Belgium's next rival will be the host of this event - Romania. Poland will play against Czech Republic.
Romania - Czech Republic 73-85 Czech Republic was better than Romania 85-73 in the opening game of Group G at U18 EuroBasket. Teams in this group fight for the survival in Division A. Other participants are Poland and Czech Republic, but only the winner of this pool will avoid relegation to Division B. Czech Republic exploded after the breather to beat the host of this even. Quarters: 22-22, 24-20, 10-25, 17-18. Mariana Opocenska (184-PF-95) paced Czech Republic to victory with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) had 17 pts, and 5 rebs, while Karolina Severova (182-PF-94) collected 15 points and 5 rebs. In Romania, Ana Maria Grigore (172-SG-94) answered with 28 pts and 7 rebs. Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) had 17 pts and 8 rebs, while Alexandra Dumitrache (170-PG-94) scored 16 pts. Tomorrow, Czech Republic will play against Poland. Romania will meet Belgium.
Division A, Day 3: Preliminary Round is over in Bucharest - Jul 29, 2012
Group A
Poland - France 50-65 France is the winner of Preliminary Group A in Bucharest and of course advanced to the next stage. They outplayed Poland for perfect 3-0 record at U18 EuroBasket. Poland finished as the last ranked team of this pool (0-3) and will be transferred to Group G (13th-16th place). There, Poland will fight for the survival and only the winner of this group will avoid relegation to Division B. France created 15-point lead at the beginning, but Poland closed the gap to 6 pts at the halftime. Third quarter was totally leveled (9-9) and France shined in the last ten minutes (20-11) to take the victory in this meeting. Mamignan Toure (179-SG-94) and Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) (5 rebs) stepped up for France with 14 and 13 points respectively. Marieme Badiane (190-F/C-94) also was great adding 9 points and 15 rebs. Actually, she was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 19. In Poland, Katarzyna Jaworska (188-F/C-94) had 8 points and 8 rebounds. Karolina Puss (182-SF-94), Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) and Angelika Stankiewicz (170-SG-95) posted 8 pts each. On Monday, France will play against Greece in the Qualifying Group E. Poland will meet Belgium in the first game of Group G.
Spain - Sweden 74-52 Spain outplayed Sweden 74-52 in a game for the second place of Group A. Spain finished as No.2 with 2-1 record, while Sweden dropped to third place with 1-2. Both teams advanced to the Qualifying Round (Group E). Maria Arrojo (186-F-85) (6 rebs) and Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) (5 rebs, 5 as) scored 20 points each for the winners. Leticia Romero (177-G-95) added 11 points. At the other side, Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) delivered 16 points for Sweden and Anita Ilic (169-PG-94) had 12. Linnea Frykbo (169-SG-94) topped to 8 pts. Spain made 11-point lead already in the first quarter. Sweden improved after that, but Spain blasted them after the breather (24-8) to secure comfortable win in this meeting. On Monday, Spain will meet Russia. Sweden's rival will be Turkey. Group E contains six teams, while only four will advance to the Quarterfinals.
Group B
Romania - Russia 38-80 Russia advanced to the Qualifying Round of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They destroyed host Romania 80-38 to end as the second ranked team of Preliminary Group B. Romania failed to reach the next stage as they finished with 0-3. Romania will fight fir the survival in Division A. Polina Fedorova (188-PF-95) shined for the winners with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Julia Gladkova (183-F-94) had 11 pts and 7 boards, while Yuliya Chaykovskaya (173-SG-95) added 10 pts. For the hosts, Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) delivered 11 points and Cristina Gavrila (172-G-95) had one less. Quarters: 7-20, 9-15, 12-23, 10-22. Russia will meet Spain on Monday (Group E). Romania will play against Czech Republic (Group G). Only the winner of that pool will survive in Division A.
Turkey - Greece 58-42 Turkey handed 58-42 loss to Greece winning the Preliminary Group B with perfect 3-0 record. Greece ended as No.3 in this pool with 1-2 score. Both teams advanced to the Qualifying Round of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest and they will be transferred to Group E. That pool will have 6 teams, but only 4 of them will reach the Quarterfinals. Turkey took control on Greece from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 11-4, 17-13, 14-8, 16-17. Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) scored 12 points in victory and Gizem Sezer (196-C-94) had 9 pts, plus 8 boards. Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) helped her country with 8 points and 6 boards. In defeat, Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) collected 11 points and 9 rebounds. Vasiliki Tarla (181-SF-94) had 10 pts and 11 rebs, while Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) also had 10 pts in this defeat. Championship continues on Monday, when Turkey will meet Sweden. Greece will take on France.
Group C
Slovakia - Croatia 60-73 Croatia outgunned Slovakia 73-60 for the second place in Preliminary Group C of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Croatia ended first phase with 2-1 record, while Slovakia slipped to third place with 1-2. Both teams advanced to the Qualifying Round and they will be transferred to Group F. Croatia shined in the second half to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 17-25, 22-13, 10-18, 11-17. Ruzica Dzankic (179-SF-94) came up with 22 points and 6 rebounds, and Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) added 19 pts, plus 8 rebounds for her country. Lana Packovski (170-G-94) posted 17 points. At the other side, Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) delivered 21 points and Terezia Palenikova (170-G/F-95) had 18 pts, plus 5 rebs. Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) had double-double of 12 points and 11 rebs. Croatia will play against Serbia on Monday, while Slovakia will meet Italy. Group F counts 6 teams, but only 4 will advance to the Quarterfinals in Bucharest.
Holland - Czech Republic 61-51 Holland finished Preliminary Round in Bucharest with perfect 3-0 record. They outplayed Czech Republic on Saturday 61-51 and won Group C. Of course, Holland advanced to the Qualifying Round of U18 EuroBasket and will continue in Group F. Czech Republic (0-3) will be moved to Group G, where they will fight for the survival in Division A. Kourtney Treffers (186-PF-94) had 17 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Lisanne de Jonge (181-F-95) had 15 points and 7 rebs, while Isabella Slim (181-F-95) added 13 pts, plus 8 boards. In defeat, Karolina Severova (182-PF-94) collected 16 points and 5 rebs. Kamila Hoskova (174-SF-95) (5 rebs) and Dominika Pohunkova (176-PG-94) netted 10 points each. Quarters: 20-11, 7-14, 21-15, 13-11. Holland will play against Slovenia on Monday. Group F contains 6 teams and 4 of them will reach the Quarterfinals. Czech Republic will play against Romania on Monday. Poland and Belgium are also participants of Group G, but only the winner will avoid relegation to Division B.
Group D
Belgium - Italy 73-64 This game was just the formality as on Friday it was already clear that Italy will win the first place in Preliminary Group D, while Belgium will finish as the last ranked team of this pool. Belgium outplayed Italy on Saturday 73-64 for 1-2 score, while Italy faced with its first loss at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Italy advanced to the Qualifying Round and will be transferred to Group F, together with 5 more teams. Four of them will reach the Quarterfinals. Belgium will continue in Group G (4 teams) and only winner will survive in Division A. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) pace Belgium with 29 points and 5 assists. Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) had 22 points and 8 rebs, while Heleen Adams (173-SF-94) netted 8 pts. In defeat, Marida Orazzo (175-F/G-94) (5 rebs) and Francesca Gambarini (170-PG-95) scored 14 pts each. Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) had 9 points. Quarters: 15-14, 16-13, 20-12, 22-25. Championship continues on Monday.
Slovenia - Serbia 56-66 It was a game for the second place in Preliminary Group D of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Serbia managed to take it thanks to 56-66 win against Slovenia. Serbia finished this phase with 2-1 record, while Slovenia ended with 1-2 (3rd place) and both teams advanced to the Qualifying Round. They will continue in Group F, which contains 6 teams. Four of them will reach the Quarterfinals. Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) led Serbia with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Katarina Vuckovic (191-F/C-94) had 14 points and 6 rebs, and Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) added 11 pts, plus 6 boards in victory. Eva Lisec (191-C-95) answered with monster double-double in defeat: 18 points and 16 rebounds. Alina Gjerkes (177-F-94) and Barbara Sut (179-PF-94) (6 rebs) netted 10 and 8 points respectively. Quarters: 17-18, 13-20, 14-17, 12-11. All teams will take a rest today and will continue with games tomorrow. Serbia and Slovenia will play against Croatia and Holland, respectively.
Division A: Day Two in Bucharest - Jul 28, 2012
Group A
France - Sweden 66-50 France registered second straight victory in Bucharest. They outplayed Sweden 66-50 jumping to 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A. Thanks to this victory France already secured first place in this pool. At the other side, Sweden dropped to 1-1, but they will also advance. Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) (5 as) and Marie Mane (187-F-95) scored 12 points each for the winners. Aby Gaye (193-C-95) (9 rebs) and Mousdandy Djaldi-Tabdi (184-F-95) netted 10 points each. In defeat, Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) had 20 points and 7 rebounds, while Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) added 12 pts, plus 8 rebs. France made 17-9 in the second quarter for 6-point lead at the halftime. Ayayi and her teammates shined in the last ten minutes of the game (19-9) to take the valuable victory. France will play against Poland in the last day of the Preliminary Round. Sweden will meet Spain and the winner will take the second place in Group A.
Poland - Spain 51-90 Both teams failed in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. France smashed Poland today 90-51 for 1-1 record in Group A. Thanks to this win France already secured a spot for the next stage. At the other side, Poland dropped to 0-2 with no chance to advance. Spain made 14-point lead in the first quarter and jumped to plus 30 at the HT. All after that was just the formality. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) was the best scorer in victory with 14 points. Marta Montoliu (182-G-94) and Ana Faussuier (189-C/F-94) scored 12 points each. Poland got 14 points from Magdalena Wojdalska (185-SG-94) and she was their only player with double digits in scoring. Julia Adamowicz (178-SF-94) and Monika Naczk (167-PG-95) stopped to 9 and 8 pts respectively. On Saturday, Spain will play against Sweden for the second place in this group. Poland's rival will be top ranked France.
Group B
Romania - Turkey 62-83 Turkey (2-0) handed 83-62 loss to host of U18 EuroBasket and it was Day Two in Bucharest. Turkey celebrated on Thursday as well and already booked a ticket for the next stage. They will meet Greece on Saturday in the battle for the first place in the group. At the other side, Romania dropped to 0-2 and will play against Russia in do-or-die game. Even in case of victory Romania could face with elimination. Turkey had amazing start creating 28-7 lead after only ten minutes. They shined also after the breather (25-12), what was way more than enough for victory. Yeliz Dogan (183-PF-94) stepped up for Turkey with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Busra Akbas (171-PG-95) scored 11 points (5 as), while Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) and Elif Emirtekin (184-F-94) helped with 10 points each. Iulia Raileanu (189-PF-95) answered with 17 points and 5 rebounds in defeat. Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) had 11 pts, plus 9 rebs. Saturday is the last day of the Preliminary Round in Bucharest.
Russia - Greece 57-45 Russia registered its first win at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They outplayed Greece 57-45 and joined them with 1-1 record in Preliminary Group B. Russia made 13-point lead at the halftime, but Greece closed the gap to 9 pts at the end of Q3. However, Russia opened last period with quick 6-0 run and had no troubles to keep comfortable lead for rest of the way. Albina Razheva (188-PF-94) shined for the winners with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Their second scorer was Olga Novikova (177-G-94) with 9 points (7 rebs) and Alexandra Marchenkova (183-PF-94) added 6 pts (5 rebs). Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) top-scored in Greece with 16 points. Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) and Vasiliki Fouraki (183-F-95) (9 rebs) had 8 and 6 pts respectively. In the last day of the Preliminary Round, Russia will play against the host Romania. Greece will meet top ranked Turkey.
Group C
Croatia - Czech Republic 67-41 Croatia (1-1) blasted Czech Republic 67-41 for the first win at U18 EuroBasket. That will be enough for the Qualifying Round in Bucharest. At the other side, Czech Republic dropped to 0-2 with no chance to advance. Croatia will meet Slovakia today in a game for the second place in Group C. Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) paced her team with double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) had 10 points and 12 rebs, while Ruzica Dzankic (179-SF-94) netted 9 pts. Sarka Jozova (174-SG-94) delivered 11 points in loss for just 14 minutes on the court. Karolina Severova (182-PF-94) stopped to 7 pts and 5 boards for 27 minutes. Croatia won all four quarters of this game and especially dominated in the last ten minutes (18-11, 13-10, 20-17, 16-3). Saturday is the last day of the Preliminary Round in Bucharest. Czech Republic will play against top ranked Holland.
Slovakia - Holland 47-63 Both teams celebrated in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Holland cruised past Slovakia on Friday 63-47 for perfect 2-0 record in Preliminary Group C. It means that Holland already booked a ticket for the Qualifying Round. Slovakia slipped to 1-1 in this pool. Holland was up by 17 at the halftime, but Slovakia closed the gap to 8 pts with one quarter left. Holland created 18-10 in the last ten minutes to celebrate comfortable win. Isabella Slim (181-F-95) was MVP of this game with valuation 20 (20 points, 8 rebounds). Emese Hof (188-C-96) (8 rebs) and Laura Cornelius (174-PG-96) (5 rebs) scored 9 points each. In Slovakia, Zofia Hruscakova was better than the others with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Terezia Palenikova (170-G/F-95) scored 11 and Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) had 10 pts. Holland already secured first place in Group C and will meet Czech Republic in the last day of the Preliminary Round. Slovakia will play against Croatia for the second place and both teams will advance to the next stage.
Group D
Serbia - Italy 58-60 Italy secured first place in Preliminary Group D. They grabbed 58-60 thriller win against Serbia for 2-0 record at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Serbia dropped to 1-1, but both teams already booked a ticket for the next stage. Sanja Mandic (177-G-95) drained a triple for Serbia tying the score at 57-57 with 1:53 remaining in the game. Eleonora Zanetti (182-F-94) answered with jump shot at the other side and Stankovic scored one of her two free throws for Serbia. Giulia Bona (186-F-94) was sent to the line after that and she made second FT for 58-60 with 23 seconds remaining. Serbia had the possession, Aleksandra Stanacev (167-PG-94) missed for two and Stankovic grabbed an offensive rebound, but she also missed after that. Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) was sent to the line and she missed both FTs for Italy and finally Stanacev was fouled and she also missed both FT with 2 seconds left in the game. Quarters: 8-20, 21-11, 18-15, 11-14. Bona had 20 points and 6 rebounds for Italy. Peresson had 8 points and 7 rebs, while Zanetti added 7 pts, plus 8 boards. In defeat, Mandic delivered 19 points and Stanacevic added 9 pts and 7 rebounds. Jovana Vidakovic (171-G-94) stopped to 7 pts in this meeting. Today, Italy will meet last ranked Belgium. Serbia will play against Slovenia for the second place in Group D.
Slovenia - Belgium 58-56 OT A fantastic double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds by Eva Lisec (191-C-95) helped Slovenia claim a memorable 58-56 overtime success against troubled Belgium, who slipped to successive defeats at the U18 European Championship. Lisec made a lay-up for Slovenia setting the score to 58-56 with 20 seconds left in OT. After timeout, Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) missed for 3 at the other side, but she grabbed an offensive rebound. Camille Lebrun received the ball and she also tried from behind the arc, but missed with 5 seconds to go. Slovenia grabbed defensive rebound and at the same time thriller win in this meeting. Quarters: 10-12, 10-18, 10-12, 22-10, 6-4 OT. Slovenia improved to 1-1 in Group D and already booked a spot for the next stage. Belgium dropped to 0-2 with no chance to advance. As mentioned above, Lisec was a key player in victory and Nina Gabrovsek (168-PG-94) followed her with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Alina Gjerkes (177-F-94) had 12 points and 7 rebs. In Belgium, Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95) collected 22 points. Delaere scored 13 and Anneleen Da Baets (161-SG-95) netted 8 pts. Today, Slovenia will meet Serbia for the second place in the group. Belgium will play against Italy.
Division A: Very exciting Day One in Bucharest - Jul 27, 2012
Group A
Spain - France 67-68 OT France grabbed OT victory in heartbreaking thriller against Spain 68-67 and it was the opening day of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Ariadna Pujol (182-F-95) made two free throws in the finish of regular time and France had 4 seconds for the last possession, but they were unable to get the shooting position. It was huge pressure in extra time, which resulted in many mistakes and missed shot by both teams. Marieme Badiane (190-F/C-94) scored for France with 1:34 to go and they were up by one, 68-67. Spain missed twice after that, while France committed two turnovers and their only shot was blocked, but still Spain was unable to score and faced with 1-point loss at the end. Lidija Turcinovic (179-SG-94) stepped up for France with 14 points and Mamignan Toure (179-SG-94) had 10 pts. Valeriane Ayayi (184-F-94) (9 rebs) and Badiane (7 rebs) helped with 8 points each. In Spain, Maria Arrojo (186-F-85) collected 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Pujol added 16 pts. Their third scorer was Leticia Romero (177-G-95) with 8 pts. Quarters: 18-15, 16-16, 11-17, 20-17, 2-3 OT. Both teams are place to Preliminary Group A, together with Sweden and Poland. Three teams will advance to the next stage. In Day Two, France will meet Sweden, while Spain will take on Poland.
Sweden - Poland 82-78 OT Sweden and Poland played a heartbreaking thriller in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Sweden grabbed 82-78 overtime win improving its score to 1-0 in Preliminary Group A. Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) made a jump shot for Sweden at the end of the regular time and forced this game to extra five minutes. Poland was 72-74 up with 1:42 to go, after what Hersler made 6-0 run on her own. Kinga Wozniak (168-G-94) closed the gap to 78-77 few moments later, but Dutch players were focused from the free throw line in the finish and grabbed valuable 82-78 win at the start of U18 EuroBasket. Paulina Hersler was a key player in victory with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Elme Hansson (180-SF-94) had 18 points and 7 rebs, and Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) scored 11 points. In Poland, Karolina Puss (182-SF-94) collected 15 points and 7 rebs. Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) (7 rebs, 5 as) and Wozniak scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 8-16, 17-19, 27-15, 16-18, 14-10 OT. Sweden will meet France in the next game, while Poland will play against Spain.
Group B
Turkey - Russia 77-74 OT Turkey had to work overtime, quite literally, to secure an entertaining 77-74 success against a gutsy Russia on the opening day of Group B action at U18 EuroBasket. Participants of this group are also Greece and host Romania. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. Pelin Bilgic (173-G-94) drained 28 points for Turkey and was their key player. Merve Aydin (174-PG-94) had 18 points and 6 rebs, while Gizem Sezer (196-C-94) added 7 points, plus 7 rebs. Alexandra Marchenkova (183-PF-94) answered with 10 points and 8 rebounds in defeat. Yuliya Chaykovskaya (173-SG-95) also scored 10 pts, while Zhanna Byazrova (178-G/F-94) added 8 points and 8 boards. Russia forced an OT thanks to jump shot by Olga Novikova at the regular time buzzer. Teams were tied at 68-68 at the middle of OT, after what Russia made crucial 7-2 run. Russia was not able to reply for rest of the way. Turkey will meet Romania in the next game. Russia's rival will be Greece.
Greece - Romania 69-52 Greece opened U18 EuroBasket in style. They cruised past Romania 69-52 for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group B. Romania is the host of this event. Third quarter was the crucial one in this meeting and it belonged to Greece 25-10. Before that, Greece was 2-points up at the halftime and last ten minutes were just the formality. Anna Stamolamprou (171-PG-95) led the winners with 25 points and 6 assists. Styliani Fouraki (186-C-94) had 11 points and 13 rebs, while Amanda Lovely (180-PF-94) added 10 pts, plus 5 boards. Romania didn't have anyone with double digits in scoring. Their best scorer was Cristina Gavrila (172-G-95) with 9 points, while Izabella Lovasz (178-PF-95) (6 rebs) and Dora Ardelean (186-PF-94) netted 8 points each. Greece will play against Russia in Day Two. Romania will meet Turkey.
Group C
Czech Republic - Slovakia 59-70 Slovakia handed 70-59 loss to its neighbor Czech Republic in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. It means that Slovakia jumped to 1-0 and shares the first place in Group C with Holland. Fourth participant of this pool is Croatia and three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Zofia Hruscakova (190-C-95) paced Slovakia with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Barbora Balintova (176-G-94) (9 rebs) and Angelika Slamova (173-G-94) scored 13 points each. In defeat, Karolina Severova (182-PF-94) delivered 15 points and Mariana Opocenska (184-PF-95) had 12 pts, plus 6 boards. Veronika Havlikova (172-F-94) scored 9 points. Quarters: 21-17, 11-19, 10-17, 17-17. Slovakia will take on Holland in Day Two. Czech Republic will play against Croatia in a game where both teams look to take the first win in Bucharest.
Holland - Croatia 51-43 Holland had joyful Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 51-43 loss to Croatia for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C. Participants of this pool are also Czech Republic and Slovakia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. Holland made 3-point lead in the first quarter, but Croatia exploded after that limiting its rival to just 5 pts for rest of the first half. At the other side, Croatia drained 15 pts for 21-28 HT lead. After triple by Cornelius, Holland made 35-34 turn in the finish of Q3 and jumped to 45-39 at the halfway of Q4. Croatia was not able to reply and faced with 8-point loss at the end. Isabella Slim (181-F-95) led the winners with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Jacobine Klerx (175-G-94) and Britt Zappeij (184-C-95) helped their team with 8 and 7 points respectively. In the loosing squad, Lana Packovski (170-G-94) scored 16 points and Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) had double-double of 10 points, plus 10 boards. Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) followed with 8 pts and 10 rebounds. In Game Two, Holland will meet Slovakia, while Croatia will play against Czech Reopublic.
Group D
Italy - Slovenia 69-57 Nice start for Italy at U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They outplayed Slovenia 69-57 for 1-0 record in Group D of the Preliminary Round. Serbia and defending champion Belgium are also placed to this pool. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Italy had minimum lead at the end of Q1, but they jumped to plus 10 at the halftime. Slovenia came to 35-33 at the middle of third period, but Italy closed it with 14-5 run. They increased lead to 19 points at the beginning of Q4 and game winner was already known. Erica Reggiani (175-G-94) scored 15 points in Italy and was their only player with double digits. Elena Ramo' (180-F-94) and Antonia Peresson (183-PG-95) posted 9 points each. Slovenia got double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds from Eva Lisec (191-C-95). Alina Gjerkes (177-F-94) had 11 pts and 10 rebs, while Nina Gabrovsek (168-PG-94) stopped to 10 points and 5 boards. Slovenia's next rival will be Belgium. Italy will mete Serbia in Day Two.
Belgium - Serbia 36-64 Serbia demonstrated its power in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They destroyed defending champion Belgium with huge 64-36. Serbia took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. They made 20-5 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to impressive 43-13 at the halftime. Serbia slowed down after the breather as rest of the way was just the formality. Dragana Stankovic (188-PF-95) stepped up for her country with 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Jovana Vidakovic (171-G-94) scored 12 points. Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) collected 10 points and 6 rebounds. Belgium got 12 points from Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) and 11 from Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95). Serbia and Belgium are placed to Preliminary Group D in Bucharest. Participants of this pool are also Italy and Slovenia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. In Day Two, Serbia will play against Italy. Belgium will take on Slovenia.
United Kingdom - Belarus 74-76 Belarus is the gold medal winner in Strumica. They grabbed 76-74 victory over UK in the Big Final of U18 EuroBasket Division B. The Silver belongs to UK and both teams won the promotion for Division A. Belarus was 76-72 up with 1:56 remaining in the game and both teams missed twice in their next possessions. Ashleigh Munns finally made a jump shot for UK with 50 seconds to go. Holubeva missed for Belarus and Joseph was blocked at the other side of the court. Shequila Joseph (189-F-95) had another chance in the finish, but she missed a hook and Belarus grabbed gold medal in Strumica. Quarters: 14-18, 17-20, 24-21, 21-15. Hanna Kalenta (190-C-94) shined for the winners with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) had 19 points and 6 assists, while Alena Holubeva (176-PG-94) helped her team with 17 points. In UK, Joseph top-scored with 22 points and Cheridene Green (187-C-95) added 14 pts, plus 14 rebs. Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott (183-PG-95) was the second player in UK with 14 points. Portugal won the Bronze in Strumica.
3-4 place
Portugal - Hungary 68-57 Portugal won the Bronze at U18 EuroBasket Division B. They handed 68-57 loss to Hungary in the last day of the championship in Strumica. Thanks to this win Portugal also won the promotion for Division A, while Hungary stays without the medal and also without the promotion. Portugal shined in the second half to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 18-12, 9-13, 20-17, 21-15. Josephine Filipe (175-G/F-95) top-scored in Portugal with 19 points and Joana Canastra (173-SG-94) had two less. Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) shined with double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. In defeat, Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) collected 15 points and 11 boards. Fanni Csutoras (181-G/F-94) scored 13 points and Janka Hegedus (184-F-94) stopped to 9 pts, plus 5 rebs. Belarus won the Gold in Strumica and Silver belongs to UK. They also won the promotion for Division A.
5-6 place
Bulgaria - Denmark 79-45 It was a game for the fifth place at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Bulgaria celebrated huge 79-45 win over Denmark to take this spot. Denmark ended as sixth ranked team. Bulgaria made 10-point lead in Q1 and jumped to plus 22 until the halftime. All after that was just the formality. Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) was totally the best player of this game. She had 31 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists (valuation 36!). Radostina Dimitrova (175-SF-94) had 14 points and 5 rebs, while Viktoria Valchinova (165-PG-95) added 8 pts. In Denmark, Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) collected 17 points and 11 rebounds. Their second scorer was Frederikke Mollerup (177-G/F-95) with 8 points. Belarus won the gold in Strumica. The Silver belongs to UK and Bronze to Portugal.
7-8 place
Lithuania - Germany 72-66 Lithuania was better than Germany in the last day of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Thanks to this win Lithuania ended as the 7th ranked team at this event. Germany is No.8. Germany made 7-point lead in the first half, but Lithuania answered with 17-11 after the breather. They shined in the last ten minutes (21-14) to take the victory in this meeting. Ieva Kazlauskaite (180-F-94) scored 16 points for the winners. Austeja Sirsinaityte (164-PG-95) (7 rebs, 5 as) and Roberta Mizgeryte (188-PF-95) delivered 12 points each. Chantal Neuwald (180-G-95) replied with 15 points in defeat and Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) had three points less. Elisabeth Dzirma (179-G-94) stopped to 11 pts. Belarus is the gold medal winner in Strumica. UK ended with Silver and Portugal took the Bronze. All three teams won the promotion for Division A.
9-10 place
Austria - Latvia 32-73 Latvia had no troubles to beat Austria in the last day of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Latvia celebrated huge 73-32 win in the game for 9th place at this event. Austria finished as No.10. Latvia jumped to double-digit lead already in the first quarter and extended it to plus 27 until the halftime. Nothing has changed after the breather as Latvia was still dominating and extending its lead from minute to minute until the final 73-32. Paula Tomsone (193-C-94) (6 rebs) and Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) scored 15 points each for the winners. Paula Langina (180-F-94) added 14 points and 7 rebounds. In Austria, Aleksandra Novakovic (172-PG-94) was the leading scorer with just 8 points. Anja Fuchs-Robetin (180-SG-96) (6 rebs) and Simona Wagner (190-C-95) netted 5 pts each. Belarus won the Gold in Strumica.
11-12 place
Finland - Ukraine 74-72 Finland grabbed 74-72 win against Ukraine in the last day of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. It was a game for 11th place at this event and it belongs to Finland. Ukraine ended as No.12. It was a very exciting finish and Noora Jarvikangas (182-SF-94) paced Finland to victory from the free throw line. Quarters: 20-9, 17-21, 18-17, 19-25. Evianna Sipila (178-SF-95) led the winners with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Jarvikangas scored 15 points and 8 rebounds, while Maria Aijanen (187-F/C-95) and Emmi Leino (182-F/G-94) added 8 pts each. In Ukraine, Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) shined with 27 points and 5 rebounds. Nataliya Skorbatyuk (183-F-95) (5 as) and Olga Krayevska (178-PG-94) (5 as) scored 15 and 12 points respectively. Belarus won the Gold in Strumica. The Silver belongs to UK and Bronze to Portugal.
13-14 place
Israel - Montenegro 70-52 Israel finished as 13th ranked team of U18 EuroBasket Division B. They handed 70-52 loss to Montenegro in the last day of the championship in Strumica. Montenegro ended as No.14. Israel took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 15-9, 23-15, 14-11, 18-17. Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) led the winners with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Hadar Levi (170-PG-94) scored 17 points and May Dayan (170-PG-94) helped with 7. In defeat, Milica Manojlovic (98) delivered 14 points. Vanja Mudresa (96) and Kristina Rakovic (182-F/C-94) (16 rebs!) posted 10 and 9 pts respectively. The Gold belongs to Belarus. UK won the Silver and Portugal took the Bronze. All three teams won the promotion for Division A.
Division B: Day 8 in Strumica - Aug 4, 2012
Group G
Austria - Norway 75-51 Austria is the winner of Group G in Strumica. They outplayed Norway 75-51 for almost perfect 3-1 record. It means that Austria will meet Latvia for ninth place at U18 EuroBasket Division B. At the other side, Norway ended as No.4 in this pool with 1-3 score. They will meet host FYROM for 15h place. Camille Legris (168-PG-95) had 16 points and 5 rebounds in victory and Anja Fuchs-Robetin (180-SG-96) added 13 points, plus 14 boards. Camilla Neumann (183-F-94) netted 12 pts. In defeat, Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) collected 16 points and 7 rebounds. Vilde Tveito (183-PF-95) had 8 points and 7 rebounds. Quarters: 20-15, 17-9, 13-11, 25-16. Both teams will take a rest today.
Finland - Israel 48-57 Israel outplayed Finland on Friday 57-48 at U18 EuroBasket Division B. There is a three way tie now in Group G with Austria, Finland and Israel all having the same 3-1 record. Finland is No.2 in this circle and Israel is No.3. It means that Finland will meet Ukraine in the battle for 11th place in Strumica. Israel will play against Montenegro for position No.13. Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) led Israel to victory with 24 points and 5 rebounds. Hadar Levi (170-PG-94) helped with 6 points and 6 rebounds. In defeat, Noora Jarvikangas (182-SF-94) collected 10 points and 7 rebs. Maria Aijanen (187-F/C-95) followed her with 8 points and 9 rebs. Both teams will take a rest today and will play their last games tomorrow.
Group H
Ukraine - FYR Macedonia 72-62 Ukraine outplayed FYROM 72-62 in the last day of the second stage at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Ukraine ended as the second ranked team of Group H with 3-1 record. At the other side, FYROM is No.4 with 1-3. Ukraine shined after the breather to secure the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 13-16, 14-17, 26-7, 19-22. Funmilayo Omoboogunje (185-F-94) led the winners with 14 points and 5 rebounds and Anastasiya Savytska (175-G-94) also scored 14 pts. Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) added 13 pts. In defeat, Ivana Kmetovska (186-PF-95) was better than the others with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Aleksandra Stojanovska2 (178-SF-94) (6 rebs) and Ivona Pejkovska (175-PG-95) added 13 and 9 pts respectively. Ukraine will meet Finland tomorrow for 11th place in Strumica. FYROM will play against Norway for position No.15.
Latvia - Montenegro 97-59 Latvia had no mercy for Montenegro on Friday celebrating huge 97-59 victory. Latvia took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 27-20, 29-10, 20-12, 21-17. Latvia is the winner of Group H with perfect 4-0 record and will play for ninth place in Strumica. Their rival will be Austria. Montenegro (2-2, No.3) will meet Israel for 13th place. Renate Reine (176-G-94) led Latvia with 15 points. Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) helped with 12 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, while Paula Tomsone (193-C-94) also added 12 points, but to go with 7 boards. In defeat, Kristina Rakovic (182-F/C-94) (6 rebs) and Jelena Nikpaljevic (175-G-94) netted 12 points each. Milena Vujacic (95) netted one less. Both teams will take a rest today.
Belarus and England advanced to Division A for 2012/2013 season - Aug 4, 2012
SEMIFINALS
Belarus - Hungary 67-63 Belarus U18 clinch Division A promotion for the next season. The team won the Semifinal game against Hungary 67:63 and entered the Final. Hungary meanwhile will have another chance tomorrow in the game against Portugal. Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) opened the scoring account for Hungary and Valiantsina Myshapud (182-PF-94) scored for 2-2 in the opening tip. Holubeva later tied the game at 11:11 and Valiantsina Myshapud made the same at 19:19. Hungary started to play better in the second frame and led in the majority of the period. Balla brought 30:26, while Csutoras made a jump shot for 32:28. Balla later sent the teams to the lockers at 37:32. Belarus however dominated the second half and stormed with two victories. They produced a 17-12 surge in the third period and added 18-14 in the last stanza. Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) and Valiantsina Myshapud ensured the latest baskets for the winning side. Maryia Papova stepped up with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Valiantsina Myshapud posted 12. Hegedus delivered 15 points in defeat, while Balla and Nagy scored 11 each. Amadea Szamosi followed them with 10 points and the same number of boards.
Portugal - United Kingdom 71-78 England U18 advanced to Division A for 2012/2013 season after a Semifinal win over Portugal. The British side grabbed the ticket to the top division with 78:71 victory. Portugal will have another chance to advance tomorrow as they will play in the game for the third place. Portugal erupted with 23-12 in the first period but failed to win the game. England replied with 22-14 and Joseph reduced to 37:34 after a three-pointer. Bravo-Harriott tied the game at 41:41 early in the third, whilst Ashleigh Munns (180-G-94) brought 44:43 from the arc. Green scored for 57:56 and Ashleigh Munns nailed three for 65:64. Joseph made the last points from the free throw line for the final success. Joseph and Cheridene Green top-scored for the winners with 18 points each, while the latter also grabbed 18 rebounds. Bravo-Harriott posted 12, while Monakana delivered 10. Laura Ferreira (177-G-95) finished the game with 18 points and Ines Viana (164-PG-94) posted 17. Soeiro ended up with 8, while Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) chipped in with 6.
Places 15-16
Norway - FYR Macedonia 62-72 The hosts finished on the 15th place in Strumica at the U18 European Championship for Women Division B. FYR Macedonia U18 overcame Norway U18 72:62 as both teams ended up their campaign. Norway started with 18-10, but could not keep the lead in the game. The hosts woke up in the second frame and won all three last quarters. They bounced back with 19-13 in the second period and then produced a 23-17 in the third quarter. Moreover FYR Macedonia finished the game with 20-14 to seal the last victory. Forka Gjorgjieva (95) scored the last points for the winners, while Muren was the last player to score in the game. Aleksandra Stojanovska2 (178-SF-94) paced all the winners with 22 points and Kmetovska had 17. Ivona Pejkovska (175-PG-95) delivered 14, while Lazareska posted 4. Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) finished the game with 29 points in the losing case, whilst Skorpen added 10. Muren chipped in with 6 and Karlstad had 4.
Places 17-18
Switzerland - Scotland 53-46 Switzerland U18 send the Scottish side to the last spot at the U18 European Championship for Women Division B. The Swiss side finished the tournament with 53:46 win over Scotland and ended up on the 17th place. Switzerland entered the court having 6 players in the roster who played in the game. They lost the first period 13-15, but recovered in the second period and after 15-9 grabbed 28:24 at the halftime. Switzerland looked better in the second half and added two narrow victories. They won the third period 9-8 and finished with 16-14 in the last stanza. Ljubica Cutunic (186-F-94) top-scored for the winners with 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Koch posted 11. Dijana Milenkovic (180-SF-96) notched 10 and Laura Perrenoud (189-C-94) added 5. Wood finished the game with 11 points in defeat and Mackie had 10.
Places 5-8
Bulgaria - Lithuania 82-66 Bulgaria U18 wins Classification Games for 5th to 8th Place over Lithuania 82:66. Bulgarian side will play for 5-6 places tomorrow, while the Baltic State will play for 7-8 spots. Both teams hoped to play in the semifinals but could meet each other only at the lower round. Bulgaria grabbed 24-13 in the first period and enjoyed 11-point halftime advantage. Moreover the second half also belonged to the Bulgarian team. They won the third quarter 23-19 and finished the game with 18-17. Kordova, Kazlauskaite and Putramentaite closed the game with their last shots. Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) top-scored for the winners with 30 points and Aksentieva netted 12. Martina Nikolova (179-SF-94) delivered 10, while Peychinova scored 8. Kazlauskaite finished the game with 15 points and Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) ended up with 12 points in defeat.
Germany - Denmark 71-78 U18 Denmark outscored U18 Germany at the Classification Games for 5th to 8th Place. The Danish side grabbed 78:71 win and will play tomorrow against Bulgaria. Germany meanwhile will take on Lithuanian side for 7-8 places. Germany opened the game with 22-20, while Denmark erupted with 22-10 in the second frame. The Danish side grabbed 42:32 halftime advantage but had difficulties reaching the win. Germany bounced back with 21-13 and reduced to 2 points at the end of three quarters. Denmark meanwhile needed a strong finish in the game to seal the victory. Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) to-scored for the winners with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Sofie Preetzmann (180-G-95) notched 19. Sheikh delivered 12, whilst Ceccardi posted 11. Fanny Szittya (170-PG-94) ended up with 13 points in the losing effort and Degbeon added 11. Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) chipped in with 9 and Neuwald delivered 8.
Division B, Day 7: Semifinals are set in Strumica - Aug 3, 2012
Group E
Bulgaria - Portugal 55-60 Portugal is the winner of Group E in Strumica. They handed 66-50 loss to Bulgaria on Thursday and advanced to the Semifinals of U18 EuroBasket Division B. There, Portugal will meet United Kingdom. Bulgaria dropped to 1-2 record and finished as No.3 in the group. That is not enough for the Semis, so Bulgaria will be transferred to Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. Portugal shined in the finish to take the victory in this game. Quarters: 14-16, 16-18, 17-10, 13-11. Josephine Filipe (175-G/F-95) led the winners with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) (8 rebs) and Laura Ferreira (177-G-95) (5 rebs) netted 14 points each. In the loosing squad, Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) collected 21 points and 5 rebs, while Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) added 17 points and 7 rebs. Radostina Dimitrova (175-SF-94) stopped to 12 pts and 6 rebs in this meeting. Both teams will take a rest today and will continue with games on Saturday.
Denmark - Hungary 43-67 Hungary had no troubles to beat Denmark 67-43 in the last day of the second stage at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Hungary finished as the second ranked team of Group E with 2-1 record and advanced to the Semifinals. Their rival will be Belarus. At the other side, Denmark ended this phase as 0-3 and will continue in Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. Fanni Csutoras (181-G/F-94) led the winners with 16 points and 5 assists. Agnes Gorjanacz (182-G/F-94) and Dora Szabo (171-G-95) helped their country with 10 points each. In defeat, Julie Hoeier (185-C-95) was better than the others with double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Marian Sheikh (180-PF-94) and Simone Ceccardi (182-PF-95) scored 9 and 6 points respectively. Hungary took control on its rival from the very beginning and never looked back after that. They were up by 22 at the HT and jumped to plus 29 with ten minutes to go. Both teams will take a rest today.
Group F
Germany - Belarus 74-89 Belarus advanced to the Semifinals of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They outplayed Germany 89-74 on Thursday to win Group F with perfect 3-0 record. In the Semis, Belarus will play against Hungary. Germany slipped to third place in the group with 1-2 score and failed to reach the next stage. Germany will fight for the fifth place in Strumica and its first rival will be Denmark. Belarus made 13-point lead in the first ten minutes and later shined in Q4 to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 22-9, 26-26, 19-23, 22-16. Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) exploded with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Belarus. She reached valuation 34! Alena Holubeva (176-PG-94) had 17 points and 5 rebs, while Natallia Pratskaila (184-F-94) added 13 pts and 6 boards. Germany got 12 points and 7 rebounds from Ama Degbeon (183-F-95). Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) and Anneke Schluter (171-PG-95) also scored 12 points each in this loss. Both teams will continue with games on Saturday.
Lithuania - United Kingdom 62-72 United Kingdom will play in the Semifinals of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They celebrated 72-62 win against Lithuania on Thursday for 2-1 record in Group F. That is enough for the second place and Semifinals ticket at this event. Lithuania dropped to 0-3 and failed to reach the next stage. It was a very exciting game with many turns, but UK shined in the finish to take it. Quarters: 27-14, 15-11, 10-25, 20-12. Shequila Joseph (189-F-95) stepped up for the winners with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Cheridene Green (187-C-95) also was great adding 16 points and 13 boards. At the other side, Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) was better than the others with 15 points, while Greta Tamasauskaite (171-G-91) had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Lithuania had two more players 10 pts. In the Semifinals, UK will meet Portugal. That game is scheduled for Saturday. Lithuania will continue in Classification Round from 5th to 8th place.
Group G
Israel - Switzerland 58-42 Israel was better than Switzerland 58-42 on Thursday in Strumica. After this victory Israel jumped to 2-1 record in Group G making a step closer to ninth place at U18 Eurobasket Division B. Switzerland dropped to 0-4 closing the standings in this pool. They will play tomorrow against Scotland and winner of that game will avoid last place in Strumica. Israel made 7-point lead in the first quarter and jumped to plus 15 at the halftime. They had no troubles to keep it for rest of the way. Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) scored 15 points in victory and Shahd Abboud (173-G/F-95) added 13. Michal Assaf (164-SG-94) posted 8 pts. In Switzerland, Ljubica Cutunic (186-F-94) shined with double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Alexandra Koch (175-PG-94) also scored 12 pts and Dijana Milenkovic (180-SF-96) stopped to 6. Israel will meet top-ranked Finland today.
Finland - Austria 56-53 Box-score will be available soon.
Group H
FYR Macedonia - Scotland 66-59 FYROM finally registered first win at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. The host of this event handed 66-59 loss to Scotland for 1-2 record in Group H. Scotland dropped to 0-4 and will end as the last ranked team of this pool. FYROM was down by 5 points with ten minutes to go, but they shined after that making 20-8 in Q4 to celebrate the first win in Strumica. Quarters: 12-10, 21-20, 13-21, 20-8. Aleksandra Stojanovska (178-SF-94) paced hosts with 21 points. Ivana Kmetovska (186-PF-95) (6 rebs) and Dragana Jolovik (184-F-94) netted 12 and 11 points respectively. In Scotland, Jennifer Crawford (177-F-95) delivered 14 points. Claire Paxton (184-C-94) (8 rebs) and Hilary Wood (163-G-94) netted 11 and 9 pts. Scotland already played all of its four games at this stage. They will fight to avoid last place in Strumica. FYROM will meet Ukraine today.
Ukraine - Latvia 40-66 Both teams had perfect 2-0 record in Group H before this meeting. Latvia celebrated easy 66-40 victory to stay on top of this pool. With this win Latvia also made big step toward ninth place at U18 EuroBasket Division B. Ukraine dropped to 2-1 sharing the second position with Montenegro. Latvia dominated during the entire game having no troubles to register comfortable win. Quarters: 18-7, 16-11, 30-13, 12-9. Renate Reine (176-G-94) scored 16 points to lead Latvia in this game. Paula Langina (180-F-94) had 9 points and 5 rebs, while Paula Tomsone (193-C-94) helped with 7 pts, plus 8 boards. Ukraine got 12 points and 6 rebs from Funmilayo Omoboogunje (185-F-94). Nataliya Skorbatyuk (183-F-95) scored 9 points and Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) stopped to 5. Latvia will meet Montenegro today. Ukraine will take on the host - FYROM.
Division B: Day 6 in Strumica (second stage) - Aug 2, 2012
Group E
Hungary - Bulgaria 57-54 Hungary celebrated very important 57-54 win against Bulgaria in stage two of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Thanks to this victory Hungary joined Bulgaria with 1-1 record in Group E. Both teams have a chance to reach the Semifinals, but Hungary is in better position now. Regina Pap (187-F/C-94) led the winners with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) also had a great game adding 12 points and 19 rebs. In Bulgaria, Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) collected 18 points and 5 rebs, while Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) netted 15 points. Radostina Dimitrova (175-SF-94) scored 12 points in this loss. Nagy's free throw set the score to 57-54 with 14 seconds remaining in the game. Bulgaria had the last possession, but Kostova missed from the field. Quarters: 16-10, 11-11, 24-19, 6-14. Bulgaria will have to beat Portugal today. Hungary will meet last ranked Denmark.
Portugal - Denmark 75-62 Portugal jumped to 2-0 record in Group E of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They handed 75-62 loss to Denmark and now Portugal is very close to reach the Semifinals. At the other side, Denmark dropped to 0-2 with no chance to advance. Portugal made 9-point lead at the halftime and managed to keep it for rest of the way. Quarters: 24-20, 20-15, 11-10, 20-17. Josephine Filipe (175-G/F-95) top-scored in victory with 18 points and Joana Soeiro (170-PG-95) added 12. Ines Viana (164-PG-94) and Laura Ferreira (177-G-95) netted 11 points each. In defeat, Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) shined with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Sophie Kjems-Krognos (172-SG-94) and Julie Hoeier (185-C-95) (5 rebs) posted 14 and 11 points respectively. In the last day of the second stage in Strumica Portugal will meet Bulgaria. Denmark will play against Hungary.
Group F
Belarus - Lithuania 77-45 Belarus is on the verge of Semifinals at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They destroyed Lithuania on Wednesday 77-45 for perfect 2-0 record in Group F. Belarus took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 27-5, 14-15, 19-10, 17-15. Hanna Kalenta (190-C-94) shined with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Ksenija Voishal (182-F-94) posted 13 pts. Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) helped her country with 12 points and 13 rebs. In defeat, Greta Tamasuskaite (173-G-92) was the leading scorer with 12 points. Laura Zelnyte (188-F-94) (8 rebs) and Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) had 10 and 8 points respectively. Lithuania dropped to 0-2 having no chance to reach the Semis. Today, Belarus will play against Germany. Lithuania's rival will be United Kingdom.
United Kingdom - Germany 81-76 United Kingdom was better than Germany 81-76 in the opening game of Stage Two in Strumica (U18 EuroBasket Division B). Both teams have 1-1 record now in Group F, but UK has much better chance to reach the Semifinals. Germany also hopes to do it, but everything will be known tonight. UK exploded in the last ten minutes of the game to take the victory. Quarters: 25-23, 12-17, 17-22, 27-14. Their key payer was Shequila Joseph (189-F-95) with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Michelle Turner (163-PG-94) scored 13 points and Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott (183-PG-95) followed with two less. Germany got 13 points from Fanny Szittya (170-PG-94), plus 12 points and 6 rebounds from Elisabeth Dzirma (179-G-94). Marie Gulich (192-C-94) added 10 points and 7 boards. UK will meet last ranked Lithuania today. Germany will play against undefeated Belarus.
Group G
Austria - Switzerland 53-41 Austria handed 53-41 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday. Thanks to this win Austria jumped to 2-0 record in Group G and they are a step closer to ninth place at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Switzerland stays winless with 0-3 record. Austria had 8-point lead at the halftime and jumped to plus 18 with ten minutes to go, what was to much for Switzerland. Quarters: 19-12, 11-10, 18-8, 5-11. The winners did not have anyone with double digits in scoring. Their best player was Camille Legris (168-PG-95) with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Annika Neumann (171-SG-96) added 7 points and Anja Fuchs-Robetin (180-SG-96) helped with 6 points, plus 7 rebounds. Switzerland got 12 points from Safie Tolusso (178-SG-97) (6 rebs) and Ljubica Cutunic (186-F-94). Today, Austria will play against Finland. Switzerland's rival will be Israel.
Norway - Israel 55-72 Israel improved its score to 1-1 in Group G of U18 EuroBasket Division B. Teams in this group fight for ninth place in Strumica. After 13-12 lead in Q1, Israel exploded for rest of the first half making 22-8 for plus 15 at the breather. Nothing has changed after that and Israel continued to dominate in Q3 setting the score to 60-34 with ten minutes remaining. Hadar Levi (170-PG-94) shined in victory with 17 points and 6 assists. Michal Assaf (164-SG-94) (7 rebs) and May Dayan (170-PG-94) helped with 11 points each. In the loosing squad, Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) answered with 20 points and 7 boards. Maja Foeleide (181-PF-95) had 12 points and 8 rebs, while her Norway dropped to 1-2. Championship continues today, but Norway will take a rest. Israel will meet last ranked Switzerland.
Group H
Latvia - Scotland 101-29 Latvia had an easy job against Scotland on Wednesday celebrating huge 101-29 victory. Latvia jumped to 2-0 record in Group H making a step closer to ninth place at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. At the other side, Scotland still closes the standings in this pool with 0-3. Latvia drained 60 points in the first and stopped its rival to only ten. Quarters: 23-7, 37-3, 26-9, 15-10. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) and Paula Tomsone (193-C-94) (8 rebs) scored 22 and 20 points respectively for the winners. Paula Langina (180-F-94) helped with 13 points. In Scotland, Claire Paxton (184-C-94) was better than the others with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Robyn Lewis (160-PG-95) and Hilary Wood (163-G-94) posted 5 points each. Latvia's next rival will be Ukraine. Scotland will meet the hosts - FYROM.
Montenegro - FYROM 61-51 Box-score will be available soon.
Division B: Day Four in Strumica - Jul 30, 2012
Group B
Denmark - Norway 57-48 Denmark made it in do-or-die game against Norway on Sunday in Strumica, 57-48. Thanks to this victory Denmark jumped to 2-1 record in Preliminary Group B of U18 EuroBasket Division B. That is already enough for the second stage at this event. Norway slipped to 1-2 and they won't have a chance to advance any longer. Denmark had amazing start limiting its rival to a single point in the first ten minutes of the game. Norway recovered after that, but Denmark managed to keep its lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 21-1, 10-14, 13-21, 13-12. Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) was a key player in victory with 22 points and 10 rebounds (valuation 25, MVP). Natascha Hartvich (176-PG-94) scored 10 points and Marian Sheikh (180-PF-94) added two less. In defeat, Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) was better than the others with 17 points and 5 rebs. Siri Granheim (180-F-94) (6 rebs) and Tennaz Asadzadeh (172-G-94) scored 10 and 8 pts respectively. Denmark will play against Switzerland today. Finland will meet Norway.
Finland - Bulgaria 60-67 Bulgaria finished Preliminary Round in Strumica with perfect 4-0 record. They outplayed Finland on Sunday 67-60 to win Group B. Bulgaria advanced to Group E of the second stage. It was a very exciting meeting and Finland was up by 7 points with ten minutes left in the game. Bulgaria exploded offensively scoring 29 points in the last quarter, while at the same time they limited Finland 15 pts. At the end Bulgaria extended its winning streak to four games. Quarters: 14-17, 16-11, 15-10, 15-29. Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) stepped up in victory with 18 points. Radostina Dimitrova (175-SF-94) also was great adding 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) was another player with 14 pts in Bulgaria. Maria Aijanen (187-F/C-95) (9 rebs), Noora Jarvikangas (182-SF-94) (7 rebs) and Jasmine Dolivo (165-PG-95) scored 11 points each in defeat. Finland dropped to 1-2 record with no chance to advance. Today its rival will be Norway.
Group D
Ukraine - Scotland 55-46 Ukraine recovered after two straight defeats and finally registered first victory at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They outplayed Scotland 55-46 for 1-2 record in Preliminary Group D. Scotland dropped to 0-3 and both teams are without chance for the next stage. Ukraine shined in the first half of the game (32-19) and later managed to keep the lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 18-10, 14-9, 10-12, 13-15. Funmilayo Omoboogunje (185-F-94) was the only Ukrainian player with double digits in scoring - 12 points (6 rebs). Oksana Batrakova (186-C-95) had 9 points and 15 rebounds, but she had poor 1 of 9 from the field. Oksana Stepanyuk (190-C-95) helped her country with 7 points and 5 boards. In defeat, Hilary Wood (163-G-94) delivered 13 points and Hannah Peacock (190-C-95) had 3 less. Their third scorer was Beth Mackie (170-G-94) with 7 points (5 rebs). Ukraine will play against Montenegro today and winner of that game will take third place in Group D. Scotland will play against second ranked Lithuania.
Lithuania - Germany 55-70 It was a game for the first place in Preliminary Group D of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Germany celebrated 70-55 victory to end this phase with perfect 4-0 record. Lithuania dropped to 2-1, but they will also reach the next stage. Germany shined in Q2 and Q3 to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 16-16, 18-25, 7-15, 14-14. Their best player was Elisabeth Dzirma (179-G-94) with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) (5 as) and Katharina Muller (181-F-94) scored 15 and 14 points respectively. Lithuania got 14 points from Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95). Greta Tamasauskaite (171-G-91) (6 rebs) and Ieva Kazlauskaite (180-F-94) posted 6 points each. Germany played all of its four games in the Preliminary Round. Lithuania will meet last ranked Scotland today. After that, teams will be transferred to the second stage and classification games.
Division B, Day 5: First stage is over in Strumica - Jul 30, 2012
Group A
Austria - Hungary 44-69 Hungary cruised past Austria 69-44 in do-or-die game today. Thanks to this victory Hungary jumped to 2-1 record and finished as the second ranked team of Group A. That is enough for the second stage at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Austria dropped to third place with 1-2 and failed to reach the next stage. Austria will be transferred to Classification Round. Hungary was up by 10 at the halftime and jumped to plus 23 with ten minutes remaining. All after that was just the formality. Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) (7 rebs) and Janka Hegedus (184-F-94) scored 12 and 10 points respectively for the winners. Dora Nagy (167-PG-95) and Agnes Gorjanacz (182-G/F-94) had 9 points each in this crucial meeting. Sigrid Koizar (173-PG-95) responded with 16 points and 7 rebounds in defeat. Aleksandra Novakovic (172-PG-94) and Anja Fuchs-Robetin (180-SG-96) stopped to 9 and 7 pts. All teams will take a rest today and will continue with games on Wednesday.
Israel - Portugal 40-70 Portugal had another great game in Strumica. They smashed Israel 70-40 to end Preliminary Round with perfect 3-0 record. Portugal is the winner of Group A and advanced to the second stage. Israel (0-3) failed to advance and they will continue in Classification Round. After great start by Israel, Portugal took control on its rival in the second period and never looked back after that. Quarters: 10-17, 21-7, 19-8, 20-8). Laura Ferreira (177-G-95) shined for the winners with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Joana Soeiro (170-PG-95) had 13 points and 6 assists, while Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) added 7 points and same number of boards. Israel got 14 points from May Dayan (170-PG-94). Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) had 10 pts and 7 rebs, and Noa Ruda (172-F-95) stopped to 7 pts. Championship continues on Wednesday. All teams will take a rest tomorrow.
Group B
Norway - Finland 56-70 It was a game for third place in Preliminary Group B of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Finland celebrated 70-56 victory against Norway to end this phase with 2-2 record. Norway is the fourth ranked team in this pool with 1-3. Both teams failed to reach the second stage and they will continue in Classification Round. Finland had impressive second half to take the victory in this game. Quarters: 10-15, 19-14, 19-13, 22-14. Maria Aijanen (187-F/C-95) (8 rebs) and Noora Jarvikangas (182-SF-94) scored 18 points each for the winners. Anni Jamsa (167-PG-95) had 8 points and 8 assists. In Norway, Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) shined with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Maja Foeleide (181-PF-95) was their top-scorer with 18 points. Teams will take a rest today and will continue with games on Wednesday. Finland and Norway will continue in Classification Round from 9th to 18th place.
Switzerland - Denmark 62-69 Denmark heads to the second stage of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They celebrated 69-62 win against Switzerland today to finish as the second ranked team of Group B with almost perfect 3-1 record. Switzerland closes the standings in this pool with 0-3 and will continue in Classification Round. There, teams will fight for position No.9 at this event (places 9-18). Switzerland made plus 10 in the first quarter and later went to the halftime with 11-point lead. Denmark drastically improved after the breather closing the gap to a single point with ten minutes remaining. They continued in the same rhythm (24-16) and celebrated 69-62 win at the end. Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) exploded with 26 points and 13 rebounds in Denmark. She reached valuation 40! Freja Christensen (174-G/F-94) and Frederikke Mollerup (177-G/F-95) scored 16 and 10 points respectively. In defeat, Laura Perrenoud (189-C-94) collected 13 points and 8 rebs. Alexandra Koch (175-PG-94) and Dijana Milenkovic (180-SF-96) netted 12 points each. Championship continues on Wednesday.
Group C
FYR Macedonia - Belarus 42-48 Belarus extended its winning streak to three at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Belarus was better than the host of this event FYROM 48-42 winning Preliminary Group C with perfect 3-0 record. Belarus advanced to the second stage, but FYROM failed to do it. They were winless at this stage with 0-3 and will be transferred to Classification round from 9th-18th places. This game was just the formality as even yesterday it was already clear that Belarus will be the winner of Group C, while FYROM will end as No.4. Anyway, Belarus pushed hard enough to get the victory today. Quarters: 18-14, 14-13, 11-11, 5-4. Hanna Kalenta (190-C-94) scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the winners. Natallia Pratskaila (184-F-94) scored 7 points and Emiliya Kulbitskaya (172-G-94) added one less. Aleksandra Stojanovska (178-SF-94) (9 rebs), Ivana Kmetovska (186-PF-95) (7 rebs) and Nena Trajchevska (178-SG-94) posted 7 pts each in defeat. All teams will take a rest tomorrow. On Wednesday, Belarus will meet Lithuania, while FYROM will play against Montenegro.
Latvia - United Kingdom 48-59 It was decisive game for both teams at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. United Kingdom outplayed Latvia 59-48 taking the second place in Group C with 2-1 record. UK advanced to the next stage, while at the other side Latvia failed to do it. They dropped to third position with 1-2 and will continue in Classifications Round from 9th to 18th places. UK made 15-point lead at the halftime and managed to keep it for rest of the game. Cheridene Green (187-C-95) was their key player with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Billie Lucas (180-G-94) and Shequila Joseph (189-F-95) netted 8 and 7 points respectively. In Latvia, Ilze Jakobsone (170-G-94) netted 17 points in defeat. Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) scored 10 and Renate Reine (176-G-94) posted 6 pts. Championship continues on Wednesday. UK will play against Germany. Latvia's next rival will be Scotland.
Group D
Scotland - Lithuania 58-82 This game was just the formality as even before it Lithuania already secured second place in Preliminary Group D of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Lithuania smashed Scotland 82-58 to end this phase with almost perfect 3-1 record. Lithuania advanced to the second stage in Strumica, while Scotland failed to do it as they close the standings in Group D with 0-4. Scotland will play in Classification Round from 9th to 18th place. Lithuania shined after the breather making 30-16 in Q3 and 21-11 in the last ten minutes of the game. Ieva Kazlauskaite (180-F-94) had 19 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) had 14 points and 6 rebs, while Austeja Sirsinaityte (164-PG-95) helped with 13 pts and 7 boards. In defeat, Hilary Wood (163-G-94) collected 15 points and 5 rebs. Robyn Lewis (160-PG-95) and Claire Paxton (184-C-94) netted 9 pts each. All teams will take a rest tomorrow and they will continue with games on Wednesday. Lithuania will meet Belarus in Group F, while Scotland will take on Latvia in Group H.
Montenegro - Ukraine 38-48 Ukraine was better than Montenegro 48-38 in the last day of the Preliminary Round at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Thanks to this win Ukraine finished as No.3 in Group D with 2-2 record. Montenegro ended as No.4 with 1-3 score, but both teams failed to reach the second stage. They will be transferred to Classification Round from 9th to 18th place. Montenegro had plus 4 after ten minutes, but Ukraine responded with 15-6 in Q2 and later jumped to plus 11 with ten minutes remaining in the game. It was too much for Montenegro. Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) paced Ukraine with double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Olga Krayevska (178-PG-94) scored 11 points and Funmilayo Omoboogunje (185-F-94) had 7 pts, plus 5 rebounds. In defeat, Kristina Rakovic (182-F/C-94) was better than the others with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Jelena Nikpaljevic (175-G-94) had 8 points and 8 boards in this defeat. Tuesday is a day-off in Strumica. On Wednesday, Montenegro will play against FYROM. Ukraine will meet Latvia on Thursday.
Division B: Day 3 of the Preliminary Round in Strumica - Jul 29, 2012
Group A
Austria - Israel 75-57 Austria registered its first win at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They handed 75-57 loss to Israel for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group A. Thanks to this win Austria has a nice chance to reach the Qualifying Round. At the other side, Israel dropped to 0-2 with no chance to advance. Sigrid Koizar (173-PG-95) led the winners with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Camilla Neumann (183-F-94) (9 rebs) and Aleksandra Novakovic (172-PG-94) (8 rebs) helped with 12 points each. In defeat, Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) was better than the others with 18 points and 5 rebs, and May Dayan (170-PG-94) scored 10 pts. Austria exploded in the second period and later had no troubles to keep the comfortable lead. Quarters: 22-20, 26-9, 12-12, 15-16. Both teams will take a rest today. On Monday, Austria will meet Hungary, while Israel will play against Portugal.
Hungary - Portugal 54-55 Portugal grabbed 55-54 thriller win against Hungary in Day Two of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Portugal jumped to 2-0 after this victory and they already secured a first place in Group A. Of course, Portugal booked a ticket for the Qualifying Round. Hungary dropped to 1-1 and will meet Austria tomorrow in do-or-die game. The winner will reach the next stage. Joana Soeiro (170-PG-95) scored 15 points in victory and Ines Viana (164-PG-94) had 13 pts, plus 6 boards. Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) netted 8 points. In defeat, Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) shined with 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Regina Pap (187-F/C-94) (6 rebs) and Dora Nagy (167-PG-95) posted 10 pts each. Quarters: 14-6, 15-13, 12-15, 13-21. All Group A teams will take a rest today. There will be two games on Monday, the last day of the Preliminary Round: Portugal - Israel and Hungary - Austria.
Group B
Norway - Switzerland 54-51 Norway celebrated its first victory at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica keeping its hopes for the next stage alive. They outsmarted Switzerland 54-51 for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group B. Switzerland dropped to 0-3 in this pool and they have no chance to advance. Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) stepped up for the winners with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Siri Granheim (180-F-94) had 12 points and 6 rebs, and Christina Muren (172-G-94) posted 8 pts in this victory. Switzerland got double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds from Laura Perrenoud (189-C-94). Alexandra Koch (175-PG-94) was their second scorer with 14 pts and Gabriela Sakica (164-PG-97) had 8. Quarters: 18-16, 15-15, 13-12, 8-8. Norway will meet Denmark today in Scandinavian derby. Switzerland will take a rest.
Bulgaria - Denmark 61-49 Bulgaria is very close to reach the second stage of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Bulgaria was better than Denmark 61-49 on Saturday jumping got 3-0 record in Preliminary Group B. There are two more rounds to be played in this pool and it could happen that 3 wins will be enough for the Qualifying Round. Denmark slipped to 1-1 in this pool. Bulgaria made 15-point lead in the first half having no troubles to keep it for rest of the way. Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) had amazing game collecting 28 points and 5 rebounds. Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) had 17 points and 7 rebs, while Radostina Dimitrova (175-SF-94) helped with 6 points and 6 rebs. Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) answered with 11 points and 6 boards in loss. Simone Ceccardi (182-PF-95) (10 rebs) and Tine Randrup-Thomsen (177-PG-94) posted 8 and 7 pts respectively. Today, Bulgaria will play against Finland (1-1). Denmark will meet Norway.
Group C
FYR Macedonia - Latvia 49-79 Latvia had no mercy for FYROM on Saturday. They celebrated huge 79-49 win for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group C of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Latvia will have to beat UK on Monday to book a spot for the next stage. The host of this event dropped to 0-2 without chance to advance. Latvia was 15-points up at the halftime and later blasted FYROM in the last ten minutes of the game. Quarters: 8-18, 12-17, 16-13, 13-31. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) scored 15 points in victory and Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) had one less. Ruta Veidere (188-C-94) added 13 points and 5 boards. In defeat, Aleksandra Stojanovska (178-SF-94) collected 9 points and 9 boards. Ivana Kmetovska (186-PF-95) (7 rebs) and Dragana Jolovik (184-F-94) stopped to 8 and 6 pts respectively. On Monday, FYROM will play against top-ranked Belarus.
Belarus - United Kingdom 71-67 Belarus (2-0) booked a spot for the second stage of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They grabbed 71-67 win against the UK and actually secured first place in Group C. UK fell to 1-1 and they will meet Latvia tomorrow in do-or-die game. The winner will take the second place in this pool and will advance to the next stage. Ksenija Voishal (182-F-94) collected 14 points and 5 rebounds in Belarus. Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) had 12 points, 7 rebs and 5 assists, while Emiliya Kulbitskaya (172-G-94) added 10 pts. In UK, Shequila Joseph (189-F-95) registered 16 points and 6 rebs, and Ashleigh Munns (180-G-94) scored 11 points. Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (188-C-95) had 10 points and 7 boards. Quarters: 24-22, 15-14, 15-20, 17-11. All Group A teams will take a rest today. On Monday, Belarus will play against FYROM and UK will take on Latvia.
Group D
Scotland - Montenegro 53-66 Montenegro recovered after two straight defeats and finally managed to grab the first win at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Montenegro was better than Scotland 66-53 for 1-2 record in Preliminary Group D. At the other side, Scotland fell to 0-2. Scotland had a better start of this meeting, but Montenegro players exploded in the second half to register the first win in Strumica. Quarters: 20-11, 16-17, 8-16, 9-22. Kristina Rakovic (182-F/C-94) shined for Montenegro with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Majda Kolic (96) scored 16 points and Milena Djaletic (186-C-94) had 9 pts, plus 7 rebs. Hannah Peacock (190-C-95) had 14 pts and 7 rebounds in defeat. Sarah Thomson (177-G-95) (5 as) and Claire Paxton (184-C-94) (8 rebs) posted 11 and 10 pts respectively. Montenegro will take a rest today. Scotland will play against Ukraine.
Germany - Ukraine 60-53 Germany jumped to 3-0 record at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They handed 60-53 loss to Ukraine and already secured a ticket for the next stage. At the other side, Ukraine fell to 0-2 and their chances for the next phase drastically decreased. Germany celebrated in this meeting thanks to wonderful Q4. They managed to keep Ukraine scoreless for the last ten minutes! Quarters: 18-12, 7-29, 22-12, 13-0. Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) led Germany with 14 points. Katharina Muller (181-F-94) (7 rebs) and Mary Mihalyi (164-PG-94) scored 10 points each. In defeat, Olga Krayevska (178-PG-94) posted 16 pts and Anastasiya Savytska (175-G-94) had 13. Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) stopped to 10 pts and 6 rebs. Germany will play against Lithuania today and the winner will most probably end as No.1 of Group D. Ukraine will meet Scotland.
Division B: Day Two in Strumica - Jul 28, 2012
Group B
Switzerland - Bulgaria 29-81 Bulgaria registered its second straight win at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They destroyed Switzerland 81-29 for perfect 2-0 record in Preliminary Group B. Bulgaria took control on its rival from the very beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 9-20, 14-20, 2-24, 4-17. Switzerland dropped to 0-2 in this pool. Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) and Kalina Aksentieva (182-PF-95) led Bulgaria with 15 points and 5 rebounds each. Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) delivered 12 points. In defeat, Brigitte Huguenin (96) scored 11 points and Alexandra Koch (175-PG-94) had 8. Ljubica Cutunic (186-F-94) stopped to 5 pts and 9 boards. Bulgaria will play against Denmark today. Switzerland will meet Norway hoping to get the first win in Strumica.
Denmark - Finland 58-54 Denmark celebrated in its first appearance at U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They outplayed Finland 58-54 handing them first loss at this event. It means that Denmark has 1-0 record now in Group B, while Finland dropped to 1-1. Simone Ceccardi (182-PF-95) led the winners with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Frederikke Mollerup (177-G/F-95) scored 10 points and Maria Jespersen (179-G-94) added 9 pts, plus 9 rebs. In defeat, Kaisa Kuisma (180-SF-94) collected 14 points and 5 rebounds. Anni Jamsa (167-PG-95) and Evianna Sipila (178-SF-95) stopped to 8 points each. Quarters: 18-13, 13-15, 11-14, 16-12. Today, Denmark will meet Bulgaria. Finland will have a day off.
Group D
Montenegro - Germany 47-71 Germany had no mercy for Montenegro 71-47 in Day Two of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. After this victory Germany jumped to 2-0 record in Preliminary Group D. At the other side, Montenegro faced with the second straight loss (0-2). Marie Gulich (192-C-94) (10 rebs) and Elisabeth Dzirma (179-G-94) scored 14 points each for the winners. Katharina Muller (181-F-94) helped with 9 pts and 5 boards. In Montenegro, Milena Vujacic (95) and Majda Kolic (96) posted 12 and 10 points respectively. Milena Djaletic (186-C-94) had 6 points. Quarters: 9-11, 13-20, 10-15, 15-25. Germany will play against Ukraine today. Montenegro will meet Scotland hoping to get the first win at this event.
Ukraine - Lithuania 59-64 OT Lithuania jumped to 2-0 record in Preliminary Group D of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They grabbed 64-59 OT win against Ukraine on Friday. At the same time, it was the first appearance for Ukraine at this event. Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) was a key player in victory with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Greta Tamasauskaite (171-G-91) secured a great help adding 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Austeja Sirsinaityte (164-PG-95) added 11 pts. In Ukraine, Nataliya Skorbatyuk (183-F-95) top-scored with 12 points. Oksana Batrakova (186-C-95) had 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Olga Krayevska (178-PG-94) and Liliia Kopylets (182-F-94) stopped to 10 pts each. Quarters: 9-16, 17-12, 19-12, 9-14, 5-10 OT. Lithuania will take a rest today. Ukraine will meet Germany.
Division B: Day One in Strumica - Jul 27, 2012
Group A
Israel - Hungary 55-68 Hungary had joyful Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. They handed 68-55 loss to Israel for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group A. Hungary was 7-points up after ten minutes and increased its lead to 18 until the halftime. When Hungary jumped to plus 24 at the middle of Q4 it was clear that the game winner is already known. Amadea Szamosi (190-F/C-94) shined for Hungary with double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. Fanni Csutoras (181-G/F-94) had 14 points and 6 rebs, while Diana Mihaczi (170-PG-94) added 9 pts, plus 5 boards. In defeat, Mariam Hannoun (178-F-94) collected 15 points and 5 boards. Nof Kedem (170-SG-94) and Noa Ruda (172-F-95) scored 12 and 8 points respectively. Both teams will take a rest today. On Saturday, Hungary will play against Portugal, while Israel will meet Austria.
Portugal - Austria 60-45 Portugal registered 60-45 win against Austria in Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Portugal had amazing first half limiting its rival to just 14 points for 20 minutes. They drained 32 at the other side and jumped to plus 23 with ten minutes remaining. Austria finally showed some of their talent in the last quarter, but it was too late. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group A, together with Israel and Hungary. Two teams will advance to the next stage. Laura Ferreira (177-G-95) led Portugal with 14 points. Ines Viana (164-PG-94), Josephine Filipe (175-G/F-95), Joana Canastra (173-SG-94) and Joana Soeiro (170-PG-95) helped their team with 7 points each. In Austria, Pia Jurhar (183-PF-95) collected 9 points and 7 rebounds. Anja Fuchs-Robetin (180-SG-96) also scored 9 points and Sigrid Koizar (173-PG-95) stopped to 6. On Saturday, Portugal will meet Hungary. Austria will play against Israel and both teams look for the first win in Strumica.
Group B
Finland - Switzerland 71-42 Finland had no mercy for Switzerland in Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Finland celebrated huge 71-42 win for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group B. Participants of the same pool are also Bulgaria and Norway. Finland took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 21-9, 16-14, 13-11, 21-8. Kaisa Kuisma (180-SF-94) had 13 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Noora Jarvikangas (182-SF-94) and Elisa Runsas (179-SG-94) netted 11 points each. In defeat, Tamara Detraz (178-SG-94) was better than the others with 16 points. Their second scorer was Ljubica Cutunic (186-F-94) with just 7 pts. Finland will play against Denmark today, while Switzerland's rival will be Bulgaria. Only two teams from this group will advance to the next stage.
Bulgaria - Norway 67-41 Bulgaria demonstrated its power against Norway in Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Bulgarians celebrated huge 67-41 win. They made 15-point lead already in the first quarter, but Norway closed the gap to 10 until the HT. Bulgarians took control on its rival after the breather and jumped to plus 22 with ten minutes remaining. It was too much for Norway, who faced with huge loss at the start of tournament in Strumica. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group B. Iva Kostova (178-SG-94) paced Bulgaria with 23 points and 8 rebounds (valuation 28, game MVP). Gabriela Kostova (192-C-94) had 10 points and 5 rebs, while Kristina Peychinova (176-SG-94) helped with 6 points and 6 rebs. In Norway, Stine Austgulen (177-G-94) was better than the others with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Vilde Tveito (183-PF-95) had 6 points and 5 rebs. Bulgaria will meet Switzerland today. Norway has a day-off.
Group C
United Kingdom - FYR Macedonia 57-53 Very exciting game was played between UK and FYROM in Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. UK handed 57-53 loss to host of this event jumping to 1-0 in Preliminary Group C. Belarus and Latvia are also placed to this pool, but only two teams will advance to the next stage. Cheridene Green (187-C-95) led UK to victory collecting 12 points and 7 rebounds. Janice Monakana (183-F-95) scored 10 points, while Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (188-C-95) and Billie Lucas (180-G-94) helped with 8 points each. In defeat, Aleksandra Stojanovska (178-SF-94) shined with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Ivana Kmetovska (186-PF-95) had 8 points and 9 rebs. UK was up by 22 at the halftime, but FYROM answered with 4-24 in Q3. FYROM had 45-50 lead with 4:40 remaining in the game, but UK responded with impressive 11-0 run and later celebrated very valuable 57-53 victory. Quarters: 21-9, 16-6, 4-24, 16-14. Both teams will take a rest today.
Latvia - Belarus 67-68 Thriller win for Belarus in Day One of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica, FYROM. Hanna Kalenta (190-C-94) made a basket for Belarus setting the score to 68-64 with 30 seconds remaining in the game. Ilze Jakobsone responded with triple at the other side, after what Kalenta missed two free throws. Belarus had the possession and there was 12 seconds left on the clock. Jakobsone pulled up for 2, but she missed and Belarus grabbed 68-67 win at the end (Group C). Quarters: 9-23, 20-16, 27-9, 12-19. Kalenta led Belarus with 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) helped with 17 points and 8 boards. Their third scorer was Natallia Pratskaila (184-F-94) with 8 points. In Latvia, Ruta Veidere (188-C-94) collected 15 points and 13 rebs. Renate Reine (176-G-94) also scored 15 and Ance Aizsila (175-G-94) had 10 pts, plus 5 rebs. Teams will take a rest today and will continue with games on Saturday.
Group D
Lithuania - Montenegro 76-60 Lithuania had to work very hard to beat Montenegro in the first day of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. Lithuania had 4-point lead with one quarter left, but they smashed Montenegro for rest of the way (25-13) celebrating 16-point win at the end. Quarters: 16-12, 16-15, 19-20, 25-13. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group D. Participants of the same pool are also Germany, Scotland and Ukraine. Two teams will book a spot for the next stage. Greta Tamasauskaite (171-G-91) and Justina Kraujunaite (174-F-95) scored 14 points each in victory. Austeja Sirsinaityte (164-PG-95) followed them with one less. In the loosing squad, Jelena Nikpaljevic (175-G-94) scored 16 points and Kristina Rakovic (182-F/C-94) had 15 pts, plus 5 rebounds. Their third scorer was Ana Draskovic (185-C-95) with 6 pts. Lithuania will play against Ukraine today. Montenegro's rival will be Germany.
Germany - Scotland 80-32 Germany had no troubles to beat Scotland in the opening day of U18 EuroBasket Division B in Strumica. It was a huge 80-32 win for Germany, who has 1-0 record in Preliminary Group D. Lithuania, Ukraine and Montenegro are also place to this pool, but only two teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Germany made 12-points lead in Q4 and increased it to plus 28 until the halftime. Nothing has changed after the breather as Germany dominated at both sides of the court. Levke Brodersen (168-G-94) top-scored in victory with 19 points. Elisabeth Dzirma (179-G-94) had 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Marie Gulich (192-C-94) posted 8 pts. Scotland got 6 points from Sarah Thomson (177-G-95) and Hannah Peacock (190-C-95). Germany will play against Montenegro today. Scotland will take a rest.
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