2017 Eurobasket Qualifiers: Day 2 Recap
Day 2 action took place over the weekend in the ongoing 2017 Eurobasket Qualifiers. Four games were held on Saturday, 3rd of September and the remaining nine games were played out on Sunday, 4th of September. Here are some brief recaps of the exciting basketball that transpired.
Saturday, 03 September
Cyprus vs. Iceland, 64-75
Iceland continued their strong opening in the group phase of the event and built on their stunning defeat of the Swiss squad in Day 1. This time they dispatched with Cyprus thanks to an impressive run sparked in the third quarter to take command of what was initially a close game. Cyprus was ahead at the end of the first half, 32-31, but a 15-25 run by Iceland in the third period secured a comfortable enough lead for them to move to 2-0 in the tournament. Martin Hermannsson posted a solid all-around game with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists to lead Iceland in the win.
Bulgaria vs. Slovenia, 78-83
Slovenia initially blasted off with a 22-9 first quarter explosion and looked to make an easy game out of this one. The unrelenting hosts fought back in the in the second frame and just like that the score was a close 35-38 heading into the halftime break. Some steady play by Slovenia allowed them some marginal gains on their lead and eventually they were able to close things out at the end of the fourth. Big credit goes out to Goran Dragic who paced Slovenia with 20 points and nine assists.
Switzerland vs. Belgium, 72-87
The Swiss have yet to get on the board and this time it was the Belgian contingent that proved to be their stumbling block. Belgium remained in command for most of this game, with the exception of the second period, when Switzerland outscored them 20-17. The loss drops Switzerland to 0-2 and putting them at serious risk of being eliminated. Belgium took home the win thanks in part to the defensive performance of Retin Obasohan who chipped in 18 points, three rebounds and four steals.
Belarus vs. Poland, 79-97
A good all-around shooting game for Poland allowed them to cruise to this easy win over Belarus. They were more efficient than their opponents at every spot on the court. Poland is considered to be one of the favorites to advance from Group D and so far they have not disappointed their fans with their comfortable 2-0 start in the competition. They pounded the ball in the paint and out-muscled Belarus inside. Maciej Lampe was dominant in the shaded area with his 25 points and eight rebounds.
Sunday, 04 September
Slovak Republic vs. Georgia, 63-94
Georgia posted one of the biggest blow-out wins in Day 2 with their 63-94 stomping of the Slovakian squad. The clincher in the game came in the second quarter, when Georgia managed to go on a massive run, ending the period 8-22, and taking full control of the contest. The tandem of Tornike Shenegalia and Michael Dixon proved to be too much for the young Slovakian team to handle. Dixon scored 16 points and handed out seven assists and Shenegalia chimed in with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Hungary vs. Luxembourg, 89-64
Thanks to a strong first half, Hungary retained control of this game from start to finish. Luxembourg did not pose a threat to their ever expanding lead. Seizing the initiative in the first quarter with a 32-15 rush, Hungary took their game inside and dominated there. They did have their faults at the free-throw line but it was not enough for Luxembourg to capitalize on. David Vojvoda was excellent in quarterbacking the Hungarian offense. He played two-way guard for them and posted 17 points and six assists for the night.
Denmark vs. The Netherlands, 72-90
The Dutch squad got their first win on Day 2. A high-scoring first quarter propped them up with a 13-28 lead. The Danes fought back in the second period, but the lead stayed in the double digit range. Finally, Netherlands mounted a rally in the third frame to pull away for good. Netherlands avoid slipping into the much dreaded 0-2 hole and are now poised to fully bounce back from their Day 1 loss. Roeland Schaftenaar did a bit of everything with his well-rounded line of 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Albania vs. Montenegro, 73-113
Albania’s drubbing at the hands of tournament favorites Montenegro would prove to be the biggest blow-out of Day 2 action. Montenegro proved to be an unstoppable force in the paint and they simply cruised to this easy victory. They had to overcome an explosive game put up by Albania’s Rashaun Broadus who ended the night with a game-high 26 points. In the end, it would be Bojan Dubljevic and Nikola Vucevic who would lead Montenegro in this victory. Bojan scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Vucevic added 19 points of his own.
Portugal vs. Estonia, 68-76
Portugal is now 0-2 in the competition and Estonia can be credited for that second loss. To their credit, Portugal got a huge game from Joao Gomes who topped the boxscores with his double-double performance of 26 points and 11 rebounds. Unfortunately, outside of his big game, Gomes found that he lacked support from his other teammates to push past Estonia. On their part, a more balanced attack by Estonia allowed them move on for the win.
Great Britain vs. FYR Macedonia, 96-79
Great Britain got on the board in style with a convincing win over the Macedonian squad. After trailing by two points at the end of the first period, the Brits took control of the game in the second frame and did not look back. They got hot from the outside and their 52% shooting from beyond the three-point arc was a big factor in spreading out the defense and allowing their players to knock down some open shots. Great Britain was able to hold off FYR Macedonia and overcame a massive 28-point outburst from Vojdan Stojanovksi.
Kosovo vs. Ukraine, 63-70
Since neither team could buy a bucket from the outside, they took to the paint and did their battle there. Naturalized player Justin Doellman led Kosovo with his 20 points, but he was matched by Ukraine’s Maksim Korniienko who put up 20 points and four rebounds of his own. The game itself was initially a close one in the first half. Ukraine pulled away in key bursts of offense in the third and fourth quarters for the win.
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Sweden, 74-71
This would prove to be one of the closest and more exciting games on Day 2. The Swedes proved that they would not be rolled over by the favored Bosnian team. The game boiled down to the fourth and final frame. Dzanan Musa played a big role for Bosnia and Herzegovina in this eye-opening game. He poured in 19 points and pulled down 11 boards. Along with Jusuf Nurkic (photo above), who posted his own double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, Musa controlled the paint. They pulled out all the stops and found the means to edge Sweden out in the end.
Austria vs. Germany, 59-61
If you enjoy thrilling come-from-behind victories, then this one’s for you. Austria looked poised to grab an easy win after riding an explosive first quarter. Their picture of control quickly blurred as their game fell apart in the fourth quarter when Germany made their final push. The “Hail Mary” run in the fourth proved to be enough as Austria imploded and could not find their bearings. Germany’s Danilo Barthel was instrumental in the win with his 12 points and seven rebounds. In the end, a 6-19 fourth period was able to push Germany past their opponents and steal the victory from under them.