November 11, 2017
For a second consecutive cycle, qualification will take place during the club season with two games in each of the three windows. There is an even number of teams this time so there will be eight groups of four. The winners and six best runners up will join hosts Serbia and Latvia in the tournament that will determine qualification for the next Olympics.
Group A:
Montenegro debuted a new naturalized player, but it was Jelena Dubljevic who led them in Reykjavik as they won 84-62. Hildur Bjorg Kjartansdottir led Iceland. This is probably one of the more open groups and Bosnia and Herzegovina had a promising start in Sarajevo as Milica Deura led them past Sabina Oroszova and the Slovak Republic 79-67.
Iceland vs. Montenegro 62-84 ISL Kjartansdottir 23/6r H. Sverrisdottir 18/10r/9a Jonsdottir 5 Amundadottir 4 Jonsdottir 4 Brynsjarsdottir 3 Gunnarsdottir 2 G. Sverrisdottir 2 Thrastardottir 1 Agustdottir 0 Benonysdottir 0 Benonisdottir 0 MNE Dubljevic 30/6r Johnson 11 Rakovic 8 Jovanovic 7 Matovic 6 Pasic 5 Aleksic 5 Pocek 4 Mujovic 3 Zivkovic 3 Vucetic 2 Popovic 0
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Slovak Republic 79-67 BIH Deura 27 Gajic 15/10r Vrancic 10 Kalusic 6 Dzinic 6 A. Delic 6 Brcaninovic 5 N. Delic 2 Rahmanovic 2 Babic 0 Dzombeta DNP Dzebo DNP SVK Oroszova 24/12r Mistinova 12 Hruscakova 10/11r Kovacikova 10 Jelencikova 5 Felixova 4 Dudasova 2 Bartanusova 0/6a Jakubcova 0 Janoscikova 0 Haskova 0
Group B:
The first game of the day was in Tallinn, where Turkey beat Estonia 81-56. Belarus won 70-62 in Walbrzych as Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk and Poland missed a big opportunity for a win that could have given them the inside track.
Estonia vs. Turkey 56-81 EST Pokk 19 Anderson 13 Piibur 8 Koster 5/9r Reinvald 4 Nikolai 4 Asi 3 Bratka 0 Lilleallik 0 Uiga 0 Rits 0 Pajumets 0 TUR Koksal 14 Hollingsworth 12 Cakir 12/6a Bilgic 11 Senyurek 10 Cora 9 Aydin 4 Guner 4 Caglar 3 Ural 2 Canitez 0 Emirtekin 0
Poland vs. Belarus 62-70 POL Kaczmarczyk 22 Zurowska-Cegielska 10 Misiek 8 Makurat 7 Gajda 7 Zietara 5/7r/7a Szajtauer 2 Skobel 1 Pobozy 0 Stankiewicz 0 Pawlak DNP Trzeciak DNP BLR Verameyenka 16/8r Papova 14/6r Hasper 13 Snytsina 9/6a Tarasava 8 Likhtarovich 7/6a Rytsikava 3 Ziuzkova 0 Ivashchanka DNP Masko DNP Filonchyk DNP Holubeva DNP
Group C:
Russia has had another change in philosophy and went to work early in Tirana, getting enough points in the first quarter to win 122-37. Hungary debuted a new naturalized player and Cyesha Goree made the difference in Kedainiai as they got a critical 73-70 win over Lithuania.
Albania vs. Russia 37-122 ALB Bujari 12 Lalaj 12 Aliaj 7 Xhanaj 2 Zykaj 2 Myrto 2 Qypi 0 Gjoni 0 Toska DNP Rreshpja DNP Berranija DNP Sinani DNP RUS Vadeeva 18/10r Leshkovtseva 16 Belyakova 14 Cherepanova 14 Logunova 13 Musina 13 Tikhonenko 10/10r Petrushina 5 Maiga 5 Beglova 5 Zavialova 5/6a Vieru 4
Lithuania vs. Hungary 70-73 LTU Petronyte 19/9r Okockyte 12/10a Sulciute 12 Nacickaite 12 Grigalauskyte 7 Labuckiene 5 Kvederaviciute 2 Saurazaite 1 Solopova 0 Gabalyte 0 Juskaite 0 Svaryte DNP HUN Goree 21/7r Krivacevic 14 Raksanyi 7 Simon 7 Studer 6/6r Katona 6 Zele 5 Medgyessy 3 Dubei 2 Varga 2 Hatar 0 Szabo DNP
Group D:
Greece had a good start in Almada, but needed to hang on late to beat Portugal 66-60. There was extra basketball to close the day as there is no clear cut favorite in the group. Great Britain successfully defended their home court as Johannah Leedham helped them prevail 90-87 in overtime against Katia Levitsky and Israel.
Portugal vs. Greece 60-66 POR Da Silva 18 Domingues 12 Filipe 10 Viana 7 Brandao 4/6a Correia 4 Neves 3 Silva 2 C. Goncalves 0 Rosario 0 Ferreira 0 M. Goncalves DNP GRE Kaltsidou 15/7r Spyridopoulou 14 Stamati 11 Spanou 9 Nikolopoulou 7 Chatzinikolaou 5 Sotiriou 3 Christinaki 2 Maltsi 0 Fouraki 0 Lymoura 0 Tsineke 0
Great Britain vs. Israel 90-87(OT) GBR Leedham 22/13r Fagbenle 19/8r Jones 14 Handy 13 Vanderwal 11/7r Stewart 6/6r Simpson 3 Collins 1 Sunley-Paisley 1 Emanuel-Carr 0 Prior DNP Shaw DNP ISR Levitsky 23 Clark 19/6a Diamant 17 Zairy 12 Shafir 10/9a Ben Nun 6 Lev 0 Yizchaki 0 Rotberg 0 Raber 0 Shalom DNP Kedem DNP
Group E:
Eva Lisec and Slovenia looked to build on their momentum from the summer and went to Oradea and beat Romania 80-59. Sandrine Gruda and France started fast in Helsinki and rolled to a 103-44 win over Finland.
Romania vs. Slovenia 59-80 ROM Walker 17/7r Marginean 10 Parau 9 Pavel 5 Ursu 4 Kilin 4 Stoenescu 4 Filip 4 Ardelean 2 Nagy 0 Neagu 0 Irimia 0 SLO Lisec 26 Evans 15 Baric 15/7a Oblak 8 Prezelj 6 Friskovec 4 Abramovic 2 Trebec 2 Ocvirk 1 Senicar 1 Jakovina 0 Kroselj 0
Finland vs. France 44-103 FIN Holopainenn 8 Lehtoranta 7 Pounds 6 Kuier 5/6r Tuukkanen 5 Bejedi 4 Makitalo 3 Lahtinen 3 Sten 3 Kesanan 0 Aaltonen 0 Wahlgren 0 FRA Gruda 21/7r Miyem 16/7r Johannes 13 Chartereau 11 Gaye 10 Epoupa 6/7r/9a Bouderra 6 Ciak 6 Michel 5 Minte 4 Tchatchouang 3 Ayayi 2
Group F:
Defending champions Spain started in Sofia, beating Bulgaria 92-42. A strong second half in Amsterdam fueled by just another great Alina Iagupova game got Ukraine the 72-58 win over the Netherlands.
Bulgaria vs. Spain 42-92 BUL Voynova 8 H. Ivanova 8 Georgieva 8 Stoycheva 7 Dimitrova 6 Kocheva 3 Sharenkapova 2 Peteva 0 Kostova 0 Zlatanova DNP G. Ivanova DNP Nikolova DNP ESP Nicholls 14 Ndour 13/9r Xargay 13 Ouvina 11 Torrens 7/7r Sanchez 7 Cruz 7 Dominguez 6 Rodriguez 6 Perez 4/6r Romero 4 Conde 0
Netherlands vs. Ukraine 58-72 NED Treffers 11/13r Van Den Adel 10 Broring 8 J. Bettonvil 7 Van Grinsven 6/9r De Kleijn 6 Butter 5 Kuijt 5 Ndiba 0/6r Adams 0 Slim 0 L. Bettonvil DNP UKR Iagupova 33/10r Moss 11/7r Berezhynska 11 Olkhovyk 6 Samburska 5 Yatskovets 2 Bilotserkivska 2 Naumenko 2 Zavidna 0 Horobets DNP Rymarenko DNP Uro-Nile DNP
Group G:
Emma Meesseman and Belgium went to Fribourg and beat Switzerland 85-58. The Czech Republic did not have to go through the last set of qualifiers due to being hosts, but had a good start in this round with an 89-56 win in Saarlouis over Germany behind Alena Hanusova and Katerina Elhotova.
Switzerland vs. Belgium 56-85 SUI Giroud 15/6r Fora 15 Herminjard 12 Simioni 10 Baumann 4 Franchina 0 Lugt 0 Michaux 0 Zali 0 Clement 0 Tolusso 0 Tomezzoli 0 BEL Meesseman 26 K. Mestdagh 15/6a Delaere 11 Wauters 8/6r Linksens 6 Vanloo 6/7a Nauwelaers 5 Hendrickx 2/7r H. Mestdagh 2 Raman 2 Carpreaux 2/7a Allemand DNP
Federal Republic of Germany vs. Czech Republic 56-89 GER Greinacher 12 Brunckhorst 11 Ilmberger 11 Bertholdt 8 Grigoleit 6 Schaake 4 Brodersen 2 Greunke 2 Korner 0 Wagner 0 Wilke DNP Zipser DNP CZE Hanusova 21 Kat. Elhotova 20 Hejdova 11 Vaughn 10 Peckova 10 Zaplatova 5 Vorackova 2 Bartonova 2 Bartakova 2 Kar. Elhotova 2 Sujanova 2 Stepanova 2
Group H:
Italy was far from convincing in Skopje with their superior depth, but beat Chrissy Givens and Macedonia 61-52. This group is wide open and Sweden’s 57-54 win in Zagreb could give them the edge over Croatia later.
Macedonia vs. Italy 52-61 MKD Givens 22/6r Mitrasinovik 14 Kmetovska 10/9r Trajchevska 6/8r Lazareska 0/6r Stojanovska 0 Adamovska DNP Petrushevska DNP Dimova DNP Janevska DNP Selcova DNP Shekjeroska DNP ITA Cinili 12/6r Sottana 11 Andre’ 10/12r Zandalasini 8/7a Crippa 7/8r Dotto 7 Bestagno 2 Formica 2 De Pretto 2 Masciadri 0 Gorini 0 Kacerik DNP
Croatia vs. Sweden 54-57 CRO Rezan 19/9r Sandric 17/7r Buzov 10 Begic 4/6r Dojkic 2 Miletic 2 Bura 0 Premasunac 0 Dzankic 0 Slonjsak 0 Todoric DNP Miloglav DNP SWE Zahui B 18/17r Abdi 15 Fontaine 9 E. Eldebrink 7 Drammeh 5 F. Eldebrink 3/6r Lundquist 0 Barthold 0 Loyd 0 Astrom DNP Hamilton-Carter DNP Nystrom DNP