In the opening game of day three in Rotterdam, France ruffled Turkey’s feathers and got their first win of their 2019 Women’s European Championship campaign.

Turkey struggled to get into the game or get any sort of rhythm in the opening quarter as France took the advantage going on a 13-0 run to hold a 17-4 lead going in to the second. It was a much more even affair for next two periods, with France edging the second by two, 9-7, and the third being all square, meaning the French team took a fifteen-point lead in to the final ten minutes. Turkey were unable to make any indentation in to that lead in the fourth, and France closed out the game, 51-31. Full Statistics

Turkey’s Mine Ercan was named MVP of the game after a powerful performance, top scoring with 15 points.

France’s top scorer Grâce Wembolua, making 12 points, said after the game:

“I feel like this was a very important win for us, especially to stay on the journey to qualify for Tokyo. I hope that all the girls are happy with the victory, although we have to improve on some things, especially in defence, to be more efficient against Spain tomorrow.”

Spain versus Germany, at the 2019 Women’s European Championship Photo credit – Steffie Wunderl

The second game of the day saw Spain looking to follow France and get their first win of the championship, but Germany had other ideas.

It was end to end stuff in the first half with Germany winning the first quarter 12-8, and Spain sneaking the second by two, despite getting into team foul trouble, to make it just a two-point game at half-time, 26-24.

A change in tactics by Spain’s Head Coach Abraham Carrión, introducing three new players to the floor at the start of the third, proved costly as Germany went on a 12-2 run to give themselves some breathing space. Carrión reverted back to the starters of Perez, Ruiz and Revuelta and a huge three point shot from Perez helped bring the game back within touching distance for the Spanish at the end of the third, down 37-43.

Spain seemed to tire in the fourth with the high intensity of the game getting the better of them, whilst Martin Otto’s Germany kept on the pace right to the very end, to win 64-43. Full Statistics

Germany’s Mareike Miller added 13 points in the last period to take her tally up to 33 points for the game and finish top scorer. Vicky Perez top scored for Spain for the third game running, with 20 points.

Netherlands versus Great Britain at the 2019 Women’s European Championship

In what was labelled the match-up of the day, reigning World Champions the Netherlands, played World silver medallists, Great Britain, both undefeated so far in the tournament.

In a slow start to the game both teams struggled to find their touch early on, but Great Britain found their stride in the final few minutes of the first quarter to put themselves ahead 14-10.

The Netherlands dry spell continued at the beginning of the second, as GB pushed out to an eight-point lead, but the tried and tested duo of Mariska Beijer and Bo Kramer combined for thirteen of the Netherlands’ fifteen points for the quarter, to edge the hosts in front, 25-22, at half-time.

The teams went basket for basket in the third quarter with only two points in it going in to the final period. It was the Netherlands who proved the more clinical as they won the fourth quarter, 22-15, maintaining their winning record with a third win, 61-52, of the tournament. Full Statistics

Another MVP performance came from Mariska Beijer’s making a double double of 36 points and 12 rebounds

The only two unbeaten sides, Germany and the Netherlands, will meet tomorrow at 18:15, with Great Britain looking to bounce back from today’s defeat when they play Turkey at 16:00, and Spain will be looking for their first win of the tournament up against France at 20:30. View current standings.