MUNICH (Germany) - The Second Round of the FIBA EuroBasket Pre-Qualifiers got off to an electrifying start on Thursday, as the teams eliminated from the World Cup Qualifiers made their mark.
Amongst the victors were Cyprus, Belgium, Great Britain and Romania, with the latest window concluding on Sunday with four more games.
Cyprus come from behind to defeat Austria
Cyprus came from behind to squeak past Austria 77-72 in a game with 21 lead changes and neither team holding a lead bigger than five points.
Both teams could barely be separated until the latter stages of the game, when Cyprus made their move with more than a minute left to snatch the victory, after Austria had a grip on the contest midway through the fourth.
Filippos Tigkas drove the Cypriots to victory with 25 points on 56 percent shooting. For Austria, Guylain Mbemba had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Strong start lifts Romania to win over Denmark
Romania got off to a fast start on their way to an 89-78 road win over Denmark in their Pre-Qualifiers opener, as Daron Russell exploded for 34 points.
The visitors raced out to a 22-10 lead after the first ten minutes and held on to their advantage even when the Danes found their rhythm.
Russell had a brilliant game for the hosts, leading all scorers with 34 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He also went 5-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Bakary Dibba amassed 21 points for Denmark.
Belgium hold off Czechia
Belgium led from tip to buzzer as they defeated a lacklustre Czechia side 92-81.
Their lead peaked at 21 points, as they got off to the perfect start in a tough group that also features Norway. Vincent Kesteloot shot 8-for-12 from the field as he led the way with 22 points and 7 rebounds.
Richard Balint had 20 points for Czechia, who were let down by poor shooting all night, going 11-for-42 from three-point land.
GB start off with a big win over Switzerland
Great Britain got off to a perfect start in the Pre-Qualifiers, brushing aside Switzerland 110-75 in Fribourg.
In a dominant display from start to finish, GB were simply too strong for their Swiss counterparts at both ends of the floor, with their biggest lead stretching to 45 points towards the end.
Joshua Uduje led the victors with 24 points, hitting four three-pointers in that haul, while they also enjoyed debuts from Amari Williams and Tosan Evbuomwan.
Alexander Schmaucher paced Switzerland with 20 points.
Daily Highs
Efficiency: Daron Russell (Romania) -32 Points: Daron Russell (Romania) -34 Rebounds: Ioannis Pashialis (Cyprus) / Guylain Mbemba (Austria) - 10 Assists: Niels Van Den Eynde (Belgium) - 11 Steals: Iffe Lungberg (Denmark) - 5 Blocks: Panayiotis Pavlidis (Cyprus) - 2
FIBA