Ress The Hero In Dramatic Victory For Italy
Kathrin Ress nailed the game-winner with four seconds remaining to seal a dramatic late comeback victory for Italy and hand Montenegro a 57-56 loss, their first in the FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers
MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers) - Kathrin Ress nailed the game-winner with four seconds remaining to seal a dramatic late comeback victory for Italy and hand Montenegro a 57-56 loss, their first in the FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers.
Turning Point: Montenegro trailed for the entire first half but took control with an emphatic 16-0 run in the third quarter, which saw the Italian team held scoreless for more than five minutes. Raffaella Masciadri's three-pointer in the dying seconds of the third period stopped the rot, but it looked as though Iva Perovanovic's free throws, which put Montenegro up by six with 80 seconds remaining, would seal an impressive win for her team in Schio. Masciadri nailed another triple to give the home team a chance, and the Italian defence held firm to provide Ress with the opportunity to send the crowd wild.
Stats Don't Lie: Montenegro's offence could not find enough answers against the Italian defence, shooting only 25% from the field in the first half. More than half of Montenegro's points (34) came from the reserves, with coach Momir Milatovic's starters struggling to make much impact.
Game Hero: Ress stepped up when it mattered, scoring the last four points including the game-winner for Italy as part of her team-high 12 points.
The Bottom Line: Italy sit atop Group C with a 3-0 record while Montenegro drop to 2-1. The Montenegrin team will have to bounce back swiftly, as defeat in Great Britain on Wednesday would make their qualification prospects a little more precarious. Italy travel to Albania on Wednesday, having dismantled the minnows with a 121-38 victory in the reverse fixture.
They Said: "We knew it would be a hard game, Montenegro is a very good team with a lot of great and experienced players. My team confirmed to me tonight that it has a heart and a brain. We missed intensity after a good first quarter and a team such as Montenegro doesn't forgive anything to our defence. I want to thank my team and Schio fans for their wonderful support of my team" - Italy head coach Andrea Capobianco.
FIBA