Match Report

Great Britain Women defeated Germany for the second time in an intense semi-final.

Helen Freeman stole the show once again, showing her creative prowess with an impressive six assists over the course of the game.

One of those got the team off the mark after a tense opening to the game – Great Britain’s first basket was brilliantly worked, with a quick exchange of passes and a smart finish from Niamh Horan despite aggressive pressure from multiple German defenders.

Midway through the second quarter, Lucy Robinson expertly dispatched a free-throw, and in the very next attack took a pass from Charlotte Moore and added another 2 points, helping to strengthen Great Britain’s position in the game.

Judith Hamer expertly drew a foul from Germany’s Lisa Bergenthal, drawing praise from her own teammates with a few proud fist-bumps. Germany opted to immediately call a timeout before Hamer was able to take her free-throw – but the number 9 didn’t blink, netting two from two to extend Great Britain’s lead further.

With the score 25-17 at the break, the contest was far from over – but a really strong and high scoring third quarter which saw Great Britain rack up 23 points to Germany’s 15 made proceedings slightly more comfortable.

But the game certainly didn’t mirror the two teams’ previous encounter as we approached the final ten minutes, as Germany rallied late, cutting the deficit from 17 to just 9 before Great Britain opted to call a time out and steady themselves. The group showed brilliant character to return to court and increase their intensity in a high-pressure game, introducing three substitutions and seeing the game out.

Scenes at fulltime were full of emotion, the team pulling together for a hugely important victory. A final score of 59 – 51 meant a hugely encouraging victory for Great Britain in testing circumstances.

Another close game for Great Britain women saw them edge out Germany in the final group stage game, booking a rematch against the Germans in the semi-finals.

Despite less-than-ideal conditions with Great Britain missing players and their coaching staff isolating, the team put in a collective effort to be proud of, and showed impressive mental resilience to stand their ground against a strong opponent.

Even with such a team effort – Robyn Love put in an especially strong performance, top scoring with 18 and playing every minute of the game.

There was nothing between the teams after the first quarter, Sophie Carrigill drew Great Britain level with a lovely effort on three minutes. In quarter two it was Charlotte Moore who turned on the style, netting twice in quick succession as the balance began to tip towards GB’s favour. Moore added 7 points in the second quarter alone, a vital contribution in a huge victory.

Going into the final quarter ten points clear of Germany, two coolly taken free-throws from Robyn Love early in the quarter settled any late nerves, and despite a few free-throw opportunities missed later in the quarter, Great Britain had done enough to invoke some desperation in the German team.

Capitalising effectively on some excessive fouls and some frantic play from their opponents as they tried to get back in the game, Great Britain saw out the encounter with bold and energetic pressing – Helen Freeman stealing the ball herself and scoring in style with just 3 minutes left.

Great Britain Women finished 40-53 winners, advancing to the semi-finals where they will take on Germany once more.

A nail-biting encounter with hosts Spain saw Great Britain Women narrowly lose out, with a final score of 52 -56.

Great Britain fell behind early on, but asserted themselves on the five-minute mark, overcoming a slight deficit to finish quarter one 18-10 ahead. A true team effort with 6 different scorers, Spain struggled to contain the variety and flexibility of Great Britain attacks.

Predominantly thanks to the brilliance of Virginia Pérez, who top scored with 24 points, Spain were able to slowly eat away at Great Britain’s lead. 3.5 player Robyn Love also shone, netting 10 points and 3 assists throughout the game – including a remarkable and dramatic late basket with 00:01 on the clock going into halftime.

The intensity only increased, and going into the final quarter the game was precariously balanced at 44-43 in Great Britain’s favour.

The final 10 minutes were full of nerves from both sides, and as the likes of Helen Freeman and Laurie Williams pushed hard to get Great Britain back in control, the game became frantic. Lots of quality on display from both sides, there we plenty of fouls as the game entered the final stage with the score agonisingly close.

With 1:45 left on the clock, Joy Haizelden continued her form from the previous game and netted from the free-throw line, bringing Great Britain within one 3-pointer of drawing level. But it was Spain who sensed opportunity on the break, and a with that deciding 2-pointer the hosts were able to call a tactical time out, and restrict Great Britain from retrieving the narrow lead they had taken into the final quarter.

Great Britain’s Women’s team made it two wins out of two with another impressive performance against Turkey, the game finishing 12-78 to Great Britain.

Cardiff Met Archers player Jade Atkin put in an outstanding performance, racking up 20 points in just under 15 minutes of game time. It was a blistering start to the game, Great Britain ending the first quarter with a 2-21 advantage thanks to the excellent form of Atkin – assisted strongly by Lucy Robinson and Charlotte Moore who also netted several times to put Great Britain firmly in control.

Jude Hamer then entered the fray alongside Kayla Bell, and it didn’t take the number 9 long to find herself on the scoresheet. Following her masterclass in shooting the game prior, she was in a similar mood this time out and managed to net 11 points over the course of the game.

Great Britain Women saved the best for last, as they finished the game with the highest scoring quarter of the contest. Coach Steve Caine opted for four changes heading into the last 10 minutes, and this flurry of substitutions paid off to help Great Britain finish strongly and add a further 26 points.

Joy Haizelden added to her personal tally with two driving lay-ups in quick succession, and Niamh Horan added a final 2 pointer with just over 10 seconds remaining.

GB Women will be delighted with such a strong start to the competition – tomorrow they return to action against the Netherlands.