After a dramatic win against the Czech Republic, Germany’s women’s basketball team is still fighting for fifth place at the European Championship – and they’ve already secured a spot in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
The women of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) showed a great fight in the placement game against the Czech Republic on Saturday (June 24th, 2023). At 71:69 (29:33, 63:63) after extra time in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Leonie Fiebich saved her team 0.4 seconds before the end of the game.
There top scorer Fiebich (17 points) went to the free-throw line 1.6 seconds before the end and made both attempts to take the lead. The Czech Republic’s Katerina Zeithammerova then missed from the three-point line.
Olympic dream lives on
In the game for fifth place, Germany will play the loser from the match Serbia against Montenegro tomorrow at 2.15 p.m.
The victory against the Czech Republic means that Germany can continue to dream of participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Sixth place is enough for a starting place in an Olympic qualifying tournament in February. A German women’s team has never made it into an Olympic basketball tournament.
16 nations take part in four qualifying tournaments in February, including six from Europe. The top three of each four-man tournament are in Paris, and Germany’s chances are good.
Clear leadership lost
In Ljubljana, after a balanced opening phase, the German team took a 25:15 lead by the 18th minute. But then the Czechs turned up the heat, defended and scored better, ran 18:4. At the break they led 33:29.
After a brief revolt, Germany made too many misses and lost possession, the Czech Republic increased to 49:42 by the end of the third quarter.
Furious final third
But the DBB team showed morale and fought their way up. Five minutes before the end, Greinacher scored from the line of three to equalize 55:55.
The final phase was very exciting, both teams scored from outside, but also lost the ball. When Marie Gülich (15 points, 16 rebounds) missed two free throws and one throw from the field in the final seconds, the Czech Republic’s victory seemed already certain. After video evidence, Germany received the ball again with 0.4 seconds on the clock – and Fiebich took her chance.
In the extra time, the Czech Republic only took the lead 69:63, but Germany came back furiously again, favored by two fouls by the Czechs.
Strong preliminary round, lesson against Spain
The DBB women went down on Thursday in the quarterfinals against the top team from Spain with 42:67. For the first time since 2011, a German team is back at a European Championship, the performances were particularly impressive in the preliminary round and now also in the placement game.