MUNICH (Germany) - There will be a strong Balkan representation at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 after Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia all confirmed their spots at the flagship event on Thursday, with Serbia having already booked their place previously.

It means that half of the 16 spots for the Final Round have now been snapped up,  leaving a total of eight more tickets to be fought for on what promises to be a captivating Gameday 6 on Saturday.

Bosnia and Herzegovina claimed a return to the Final Round for the first time since 1999 as they recorded a nervy but memorable 67-62 victory over Switzerland in Group C. 

Without star forward Marica Gajic, it was the naturalized Courtney Hurt who took the headlines as she posted a dream debut with 30 points and 13 boards, while Melisa Brcaninovic stepped up with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Croatia missed out on the Final Round in both 2017 and 2019, but are back after easing out Germany 80-66 in Group I.

A 24-11 period witnessed them take control, with a one-two punch from Iva Slonjsak and Ivana Dojkic vital in getting the job done. The former had 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Dojkic brought the noise with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Slovenia rode their way to what will be a third straight Final Round appearance, having debuted back in 2017. It came courtesy of a 71-66 victory against Bulgaria in Group A.

Eva Lisec was impressive with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Nika Baric played an important cameo with 10 points and 8 assists, as did backcourt partner Teja Oblak who added 16 points. 

Elsewhere, Greece improved their chances in Group A by sailing past Iceland 95-58 behind a classy 6 of 7 shooting effort from Anna Spyridopoulou who left eht court with 18 points.

Sweden claimed top spot in Group B despite a narrow 69-67 loss against Montenegro, who transformed their chances with victory. It was the returning Jelena Dubljevic who inflicted the damage on Sweden with a brilliant 34 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists.

Russia are on the cusp of making it safely to the Final Round after they made light work of getting past Estonia with a one-sided 79-35 triumph in Group C. Elizaveta Komarova continued her recent good form as the Nadezhda player stood out with 13 points and 6 assists.  Raisa Musina top scored with 17 points and Maria Vadeeva contributed 11 points and 11 boards.

In Group D, Czech Republic also edged closer as they overwhelmed Romania 100-52, with Lenka Bartakova handing out a special 16 assists in the victory and Julia Reisingerova impressing with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Main rivals for top spot Italy also got a win as they took down Denmark 101-55, with Matina Bestagno top-scoring with 18 points.

There's a nervous wait for Turkey in Group E as they moved to 2-2 and boosted their hopes by shutting down Lithuania 67-55. It was a real team effort, with Pelin Bilgic, Olcay Cakir, Gizem Yavuz and Serife Onar all racking up double-digit scoring returns.

Belarus took a significant step forward in Group F as they outlasted Great Britain 67-57 to bounce back from Wednesday's loss to Poland. The experienced players in the team all shone, as Anastasiya Verameyenka led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Yuliya Rytsikava and Ekaterina Snytsina had 17 and 16 points respectively. 

In Group G, Ukraine wrapped up second place as they swept aside Portugal 87-58. The victory was achieved thanks to an outstanding 29 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists from Krystyna Matsko.

Group winners Belgium underlined why they will be a podium favorite at Final Round as they shot down Finland 82-47. Emma Meesseman garnered 18 points and 10 rebounds, while teenager Awak Kuier responded with 20 points in defeat.

There will be a tense last day of action in Group I after Hungary prevailed in a must-win encounter against Slovakia. Sopron Basket center Bernadett Hatar was the difference-maker, pacing the 65-57 success with 25 points and 11 rebounds to ensure that that both nations, plus Netherlands still have a chance of progressing to the Final Round.

FIBA