MUNICH (Germany) - The final tickets were handed out as the First Round of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers concluded on Tuesday.
Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Ukraine all secured their spots in the Second Round, which begins in November.
Key Storylines
Spanou posts monster double-double to lead Greece to victory;
Slovenia and Netherlands progress from Group B;
Slovakia, Portugal and Ukraine complete Second Round lineup.
Daily Highs
Efficiency: Artemis Spanou (Greece) - 40 Points: Multiple players - 26 Rebounds: Artemis Spanou (Greece) - 17 Assists: Mihaela Lazic (Croatia) - 12 Steals: Multiple players - 5 Blocks: Khaalia Hillsman (Bulgaria) - 3
Spanou steals the show as Greece punch ticket
Artemis Spanou starred for Greece as they punched their ticket to the Second Round of Qualifiers with a 99-77 victory over Denmark in Group F.
After the Danes scored the opening bucket, Greece responded with a 9-0 run to take control for good, with Spanou pulling the strings, leading the way with 26 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists. Julianna Okosun led Denmark with 19 points as the team already sealed its spot in the next phase.
Slovenia advance to the Second Round in style; Dutch also through despite loss
Slovenia were unstoppable from the floor as they defeated the Netherlands 97-80 to qualify from Group B.
Jessica Shepard finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds for the winners as she shot an efficient 72 percent from the field, as well as going 6-for-9 from the foul line.
Emese Hof and Laura Cornelius both had 16 to lead the Netherlands, which also qualified for the Second Round.
Slovakia progress to the Second Round; Poland finish unbeaten
Slovakia advanced to the next phase of the Qualifiers after overcoming Romania 79-55 in their final Group C game.
Nikola Dudasova and Ivana Jakubcova combined for 48 points, with the former leading with 26 to guide Slovakia to the next round. Bianca Fota had 13 for the Romanians.
In the other Group C game, Poland finished a perfect 6-0 after beating Cyprus 90-48. Klaudia Gertchen went 5-for-6 from three-point land to lead the victors with 17 points.
Portugal head to the Second Round despite nail-biter against Iceland
Iceland sealed a deserved 62-60 win over Portugal in a thrilling battle in Group G. However, despite the loss, Portugal progressed to the Second Round.
Danielle Rodriguez paced Iceland with 20 points and 6 assists. Sara Guerreiro led Portugal with 12 points.
Serbia had already progressed to the next phase.
Ukraine marches on with a win over Azerbaijan
Ukraine held Azerbaijan to just six points after the first quarter and never looked back, booking their place with a 73-55 success in Group E.
Khrystyna Kulesha led a well-balanced scoring attack for Ukraine with 13 points, and she also pulled down 10 rebounds. Polina Shchukina led Azerbaijan with 14 points.
In the other Group E clash, Bulgaria stumbled at the final hurdle in their quest to finish unbeaten. They lost 70-66 to Montenegro. Marija Lekovic paced the Montenegrins with 19 points, while Khaalia Hillsman filled the stat sheet for the Bulgarians, going for 23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks.
Results
Tuesday, March 17
Group A Ireland 54-90 Israel Bosnia and Herzegovina 81-73 Luxembourg
Group B Slovenia 97-80 Netherlands Estonia 75-82 Latvia
Group C Slovakia 79-55 Romania Cyprus 48-90 Poland Group D Austria 79-66 Switzerland Great Britain 68-55 Norway
Group E Azerbaijan 55-73 Ukraine Montenegro 70-66 Bulgaria Group F Greece 99-77 Denmark North Macedonia 53-91 Croatia Group G Iceland 62-60 Portugal
FIBA