Tweet
qualies continued last weekend but this could be more interesting:
Great Britain - Slovak Republic 77-52
stats:
Great Britain - Slovak Republic 77-52
Luol Deng scored 21 points and Richard Midgley and Robert Archibald added 14 points each as Great Britain resumed their EuroBasket Division B campaign with a comfortable 77-52 victory over Slovakia at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.
Needing to win all four of this year's qualifiers against the Netherlands, Albania, Belarus and the Slovaks, coach Chris Finch's side made a cautious start with Deng missing four of his first five attempts at scoring.
But the team still built a 13-6 lead on their way to winning the first quarter 19-14, on the back of four points each from Andrew Sullivan and Nate Reinking.
In the second quarter, a Midgley three-pointer and a Deng shot for two heralded the first double-figure lead of the night.
Deng then drove for an assist to Midgley then drove again for a powerful dunk, a tip-in off his own missed shot and another dunk to take the lead to 37-20.
Slovakia, who had beaten Britain in Spisska Nova Ves in last season's corresponding fixture, had scored only eight points in the second quarter but were more aggressive after the break.
They scored the first five points of the second half but eight points in a row from Archibald, who showed no signs of the ankle problems that have plagued him in recent weeks, established a 51-30 advantage as Slovakia again laboured to put points on the board.
The Brits showed no mercy in the fourth quarter, starting with two drives from Midgley in a 10-3 start.
Two three-pointers from Reinking and one from Deng then stretched the lead to 32 points with four and a half minutes remaining before a late flurry of Slovakian scores reduced the final deficit slightly.
Great Britain now have a week of training, some of it in Belgium, ahead of their second qualifying game, against Group B leaders Holland in Almere on Wednesday.
Needing to win all four of this year's qualifiers against the Netherlands, Albania, Belarus and the Slovaks, coach Chris Finch's side made a cautious start with Deng missing four of his first five attempts at scoring.
But the team still built a 13-6 lead on their way to winning the first quarter 19-14, on the back of four points each from Andrew Sullivan and Nate Reinking.
In the second quarter, a Midgley three-pointer and a Deng shot for two heralded the first double-figure lead of the night.
Deng then drove for an assist to Midgley then drove again for a powerful dunk, a tip-in off his own missed shot and another dunk to take the lead to 37-20.
Slovakia, who had beaten Britain in Spisska Nova Ves in last season's corresponding fixture, had scored only eight points in the second quarter but were more aggressive after the break.
They scored the first five points of the second half but eight points in a row from Archibald, who showed no signs of the ankle problems that have plagued him in recent weeks, established a 51-30 advantage as Slovakia again laboured to put points on the board.
The Brits showed no mercy in the fourth quarter, starting with two drives from Midgley in a 10-3 start.
Two three-pointers from Reinking and one from Deng then stretched the lead to 32 points with four and a half minutes remaining before a late flurry of Slovakian scores reduced the final deficit slightly.
Great Britain now have a week of training, some of it in Belgium, ahead of their second qualifying game, against Group B leaders Holland in Almere on Wednesday.
Comment