On Sunday (June 18th, 2023) the German basketball players won their last preliminary round game at the European Championships against Great Britain with 62:61 (29:38) and play in the qualification for the quarterfinals as runners-up in group C against Slovakia.
Leonie Fiebich then analyzed the Sportschau microphone: “We made it a little more exciting than we had to, in the last few minutes you could see that we were still a little too inexperienced. We’re still learning, but we’re on a great path and have improved in every game. I’m really excited for the quarter-finals, those do-or-die games are all you work for.”
After the opening defeat against France (50:58), the victory on Friday over hosts Slovenia (66:62) made it clear even before the group final that the German team had reached the second round. On the third day of the game, the Brits went head-to-head for second place.
Degbeon will probably be back from Monday
National coach Lisa Thomaidis had to do without Ama Degbeon on Sunday, who left the preliminary round venue Ljubljana/Slovenia for personal reasons. According to the German Basketball Federation (DBB), the 27-year-old is expected to return to the team on Monday.
The DBB team initially had problems with rebounding, the Brits took advantage of this advantage and pulled away slightly before the break. In the strong third quarter (18:6), the Thomaidis protégés turned the game, the decision was made in the final seconds.
Brits miss the chance to win
The Brits missed two free throws and missed the chance to win the last time they had possession. The best thrower of the DBB team, which is taking part in a EuroBasket for the first time in twelve years, was Fiebich with 13 points. For the first time since 1997, the German women have won two games in a row at a European Championship.