February 20, 2016
Group A:
It was expected to be one of the most evenly matched groups, but it is probably the least likely of the three teams taking the lead halfway through qualification. Slovenia downed Latvia 69-51 in a battle of unbeatens, an impressive feat given the strength of Latvia’s roster as they managed to bring in their key players.
Slovenia vs. Latvia 69-51 SLO Pirsic 13/10r Baric 11 Oblak 10 Erkic 9 Lisec 8/9r Trebec 8 Abramovic 8 Ljubenovic 2 Zdolsek 0/8r Rupnik DNP Jakovina DNP Prezelj DNP LAT Steinberga 12/7r Vitola 12 Jekabsone-Zogota 9/6a Rozenberga 6 Teilane 4/12r Basko-Melnbarde 3 Babkina 3 Krastina 2 Priede 0 Putnina 0 Melnika 0 Eibele DNP
Standings: Slovenia 2-0, Latvia 1-1, Lithuania 0-2
Group B:
The Netherlands just managed to get the important 66-63 win at winless Estonia to stay in solid shape at the halfway point. Croatia got a big game from Iva Ciglar, but it was not enough to get the win against France, which would have put them right back into the picture for qualification. The visitors took the win by a 79-70 margin to stay in firm position atop the standings.
Estonia vs. Netherlands 63-66 EST Nikolai 17/9r Pokk 11 Anderson 8 Piibur 8 Mesila-Kaarmann 6 Kasemagi 4 Bratka 4 Puu 3 Koster 2 Sokman 0 Maaring DNP Rits DNP NED Treffers 13/17r Halman 12 Klein 12 Broring 11 Bettonvil 4 Van Den Adel 4 Butter 3 Adams 3 Ligthart 2/7r De Roos 2 Fokke 0 Ndiba DNP
Croatia vs. France 70-79 CRO Ciglar 25/6a Rezan 13/11r Ivezic 11 Lelas 7 Zellous 6 Begic 5 Tikvic 2 Sandric 1 Dzankic 0 Packovski 0 Borovic 0 Miletic DNP FRA Ayayi 15 Skrela 14/8r Miyem 14/7r Gaye 12 Ciak 8 Dumerc 4/7a Tanqueray 4 Epoupa 3 Michel 2 Johannes 2 Amant 1 Salagnac 0
Standings: France 3-0, Netherlands 2-1, Croatia 1-2, Estonia 0-3
Group C:
Italy needed a comeback at home to edge Montenegro 57-56 and win the battle of unbeatens despite a great game from Iva Perovanovic. Great Britain showed no mercy in getting their first win, walloping Albania 122-36 with Johannah Leedham leading the way.
Italy vs. Montenegro 57-56 ITA Ress 12 Masciadri 11 Macchi 10 Dotto 9/6s Gorini 6 Cinili 4/9r Zandalasini 3 Crippa 2 Sottana 0 Formica 0 Gatti 0 Nadalin 0 MNE Perovanovic 21 Matovic 11 Jovanovic 7 Dubljevic 6/8r Aleksic 4 Robinson 3/6r Skerovic 2/6r Mujovic 2 Popovic 0 Vucetic DNP Pasic DNP Rakovic DNP
Great Britain vs. Albania 122-36 GBR Leedham 22/8r/6a Clark 15/17r Vanderwal 15/9r/6a Stewart 12 How 10 Jones 10 Simpson 8 Thompson 8 Allen 8 Collins 7 Campbell 4 Naylor 3 ALB Xhanaj 9/7r Zykaj 8 Llazar 7 E. Bujari 5 Aliaj 4 Qypi 3 G. Bujari 0 Lalaj 0 Permeti 0 Myrto 0 Dashja 0 Gjoni 0
Standings: Italy 3-0, Montenegro 2-1, Great Britain 1-2, Albania 0-3
Group D:
Alina Iagupova turned in one of the day’s most impressive performances as Ukraine beat defending champions Serbia 78-75 at home. The visitors will be disappointed not to have won, but without their best player they should feel like they still have the advantage to turn things around and top the group. Germany got their 80-36 win over Luxembourg, but they still face a tough path to realistically have a shot at qualification.
Ukraine vs. Serbia 78-75 UKR Iagupova 31/6r/6s Dorogobuzowa 13/7r Zarytska 12 Khomenchuk 8 Malashenko 6 Berezhynska 4 Dubrovina 4/8a Olkhovyk 0 Spitkovska 0 Naumenko DNP Bilotserkivska DNP Dobrikova DNP SRB Milovanovic 16 Page 14 Pesovic 12 Butulija 10 M. Dabovic 10 Crvendakic 8 A. Dabovic 3/6s Radocaj 2 Jovanovic 0 Krnjic 0 Cado DNP Ajdukovic DNP
Germany vs. Luxembourg 80-36 GER Skuballa 14/7r Greunke 12/6r Brunckhorst 12 Greinacher 10 Dzirma 10 Mersch 7 Wagner 6 Fikiel 4/7r Thimm 2 Amojo 2 Pohlmann 1 Brodersen 0 LUX Schmit 13 Hetting 8 Jablonowski 6 Orban 6 Gruskovnjak 3 Diederich 0 Petrova 0 Geniets 0 Kauffmann 0 Dittgen 0 Bidinger 0
Standings: Ukraine 3-0, Serbia 2-1, Germany 1-2, Luxembourg 0-3
Group E:
A battle of winless teams saw Portugal grab their first 68-56 win over Iceland at home. The other game had a wild finish as Allie Quigley had a huge game for Hungary to help them edge the Slovak Republic 65-64 and move atop the standings at the halfway point.
Portugal vs. Iceland 68-56 POR Lopes 16 S. Da Silva 13/6r L. Da Silva 11/7r Livulo 11 Faustino 9 Fonseca 4 Milovac 2 Viana 1 Neves 1 Brandao 0 Escorcio 0 Goncalves 0 ISL H. Sverrisdottir 17/12r Amundaottir 12 Gudmundsdottir 8 Thrastardottir 7 Sturludottir 4/8r Gunnlaugsdottir 3 Brynjarsdottir 2 B. Gunnarsdottir 2 G. Gunnarsdottir 1 Kristinardottir 0 G. Sverrisdottir DNP Sveinsdottir DNP
Hungary vs. Slovak Republic 65-64 HUN Quigley 27 Fegyverneky 10/6a Raksanyi 8 Licskai 7 Krivacevic 6 Zele 4 Simon 3 Hatar 0/8r Dubei 0 Horvath 0 Furesz DNP Kaposi DNP SVK Slamova 18 Hruscakova 16/10r Palenikova 10/6a Balintova 5/6a Jurcenkova 5 D. Baburova 4 Lukacovicova 2 Palusna 2 A. Baburova 2 Dudasova 0 Kmetova DNP Mistinova DNP
Standings: Hungary 3-0, Slovak Republic 2-1, Portugal 1-2, Iceland 0-3
Group F:
The game for first place was as good as anticipated as Russia escapes Greece with a 67-66 win and advantage for the rest of the qualification process. Evanthia Maltsi had a good game, but it was not enough for the hosts. Bulgaria may have a difficult path to moving on, but they did get their first win 74-55 over winless Switzerland.
Greece vs. Russia 66-67 GRE Maltsi 22 Dimitrakou 18/6r Spanou 9 Chatzinikolaou 7 Papamichail 4 Sotiriou 4 Kaltsidou 2 Lymoura 0 Kosma 0 Stavridou DNP Chalivera DNP Spyridopoulou DNP RUS Belyakova 15/8r/7a Osipova 15/8r Vadeeva 13 Vidmer 12 Kolosovskaia 3 Cherepanova 3 Beglova 2 Musina 2 Levchenko 2 Sapova 0 Vieru DNP Maiga DNP
Bulgaria vs. Switzerland 74-55 BUL Peteva 19 Kostova 13/8r Quinn 13 R.S. Dimitrova 9 Tomova 9 Miteva 8/10r R. Dimitrova 3 Sharenkapova 0 Kocheva 0 Zlatanova 0 Stoycheva 0 Kostova DNP SUI Rol 15/9r Giroud 10/9r Thalmann 9 Twehues 5 Clement 4 Kershaw 4 Fora 4 Tolusso 2 Cutunic 2 Herminjard 0 Lugt 0 Tomezzoli 0
Standings: Russia 3-0, Greece 2-1, Bulgaria 1-2, Switzerland 0-3
Group G:
The group was probably expected to be the most competitive and it lives up to the billing halfway through proceedings as all the teams are now tied at 1-1. Kim Mestdagh and Emma Meesseman were just too much for Poland as Belgium rolled to the 100-63 win at home.
Belgium vs. Poland 100-63 BEL K. Mestdagh 30 Meesseman 29/14r Vanloo 10 Wauters 9 Ben Abdelkader 6 Delaere 5 Raman 5 Carpreaux 4/12a Linskens 2 Hendrickx 0 H. Mestdagh 0 Allemand 0 POL Kobryn 16 Stankiewicz 14 McBride 9 Zurowska-Cegielska 8 Koc 4 Kaczmarczyk 4 Sniezek 4 Idczak 2 Pawlak 2 Skobel 0 Morawiec 0 Owczarzak 0
Standings: Belgium 1-1, Belarus 1-1, Poland 1-1
Group H:
The game was as tough as expected, but Turkey is in an excellent position to qualify after a 56-45 win at Romania. Former Maryland players starred for their teams in the other game as Shay Doron and Israel prevailed 76-72 at home in the battle of winless teams over Lynetta Kizer and Bosnia and Herzgovina.
Romania vs. Turkey 45-56 ROU Marginean 12/7r Pascalau 7/6r Stoenescu 7 Parau 6 Pop 6 Stoidin 5 Irimia 2/7r Ursu 0 Pavel DNP Sipos DNP Olah DNP Ferariu DNP TUR Hollingsworth 15/7r Alben 12/7r Caglar 12 Cakir 7 Ivegin 3 Canitez 2/7r Ural 2 Cora 2 Gunay 1 Eksi 0 Demirok 0 Koksal 0
Israel vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 76-72 ISR Doron 22 Shafir 18/7a Clark 16/6a Levitsky 8 Banet 7 Abramzon 5 Suez-Karni 0 Zairy 0 Oren 0 Shalom 0 Ben Nun 0 Lev DNP BIH Kizer 24/9r Deura 16 Svitlica 14/12r Gajic 9/12r Vrancic 7/6r/6a Kapor 2 Babic 0 Dzombeta 0 Kalusic DNP Dzinic DNP Demirovic DNP Brcaninovic DNP
Standings: Turkey 3-0, Romania 2-1, Israel 1-2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-3
Group I:
Halfway through qualification, the other two teams know they have a long way to go to catch Spain, so a fight for the one of the runners up places might be the only way to qualify. Sweden took a step towards that by winning 59-49 in Finland.
Finland vs. Sweden 49-59 FIN Lehtoranta 12 Pounds 12 Koprivaara 9/8r Tulonen 4 T. Sten 4 M. Sten 3 Salomaa 3 Gross 2 Rokkanen 0 Jamsa 0 Pelander 0 Kesanen 0 SWE Barthold 14/6r Zahui B 11/13r E. Eldebrink 11/7r F. Eldebrink 10 Abdi 8/8r Massamba 2/6r Drammeh 2 Aili 1 Astrom 0 Ljunggren DNP Holmqvist DNP Gultekin DNP
Standings: Spain 2-0, Sweden 1-1, Finland 0-2