Texto alternativo para invidentes

The Polish women’s basketball team, despite giving their hearts on the court and the best cheering in the tournament, succumbed to the Lithuanian 19:20.

The lack of centimetres and chemistry was no longer as evident as in the meeting with Ukraine. The Poles played fast and effectively. At 4:2, however, a moment of inattention cost them the lead. Kamile Nicickaite’s throw from behind the arc was immediately answered by Aldona Morawiec. After two-point shots by Marta Marcinkowska and Julia Drop the home team won by 9:6 and 11:8. At that time they were able to intercept the ball properly, despite six offences on their account!

Still after Morawiec’s hit it was 12:10, but from the tie after 12, something stuck. The Poles were chasing the result. Every time, when the tie seemed to be at hand, something was missing. It was a foul or inefficiency at the personal throw line. If Anna Pawłowska had used her attempts, there would certainly have been a draw, or maybe even a win. Lithuanians with difficulty mastered the situation, and seven seconds before the end of the match – when the Poles did not find a way to score from under the basket – they did not try to throw, delivering a one-point victory.

Earlier, after a frantic game, the Estonian women defeated Ukraine 14:13, with the throw that gave the triumph – even with the final buzzer – made by Annika Koster. During the match, Marie Anette Sepp (168 cm) was hit twice with her elbow, in the nose and in the neck. She answered the Ukrainian women in the best possible way – with four shots from behind the arc.

Two overtime periods for Israel

The first extra time to the regulation 10 minutes of play, was needed to settle the rivalry between the Swiss and Israeli women’s basketball team. The Helvetskis chased the score and only in the last action of the game did they clinch it, bringing the game to a tie after 17. In overtime, they first shot from under the basket, then from beyond the arc and enjoyed the win.

The situation was different in the men’s game. France seemed unthreatened. However, Israel’s ambitious attitude led to a score of 18:18, after the final buzzer of basic time. First a personal shot, then a hit from half-distance and Tomer Assayag, scorer of the decisive point, could dance on the court, celebrating the win (20:18).