GB Senior Women Put in Strong Defensive Effort to See Off Germany
Strong and committed defense from the Great Britain team helped them to a 64-42 win over Germany today, in the first of two preparation games being staged between the sides.
Temi Fagbenle scored a game-high 17 points and added eight rebounds, but the win was the result of a suffocating defense which must have pleased coach Peter Buckle who led GB to their third win out of three in advance of next month’s EuroBasket Qualifying round.
Rachael Vanderwal was responsible for 12 points herself in her first game of the campaign, while centre Azania Stewart contributed nine points and six rebounds.
With two wins in Rome against a young and promising Italian side behind them, GB included Scotland’s Erin McGarrachan and the returning Vanderwal in the starting five, alongside Stef Collins, Stewart and Fagbenle. Coach Buckle would have been delighted with his team’s start as they posted seven points on the board, before the visitors could open their account. Stewart and Fagbenle were powerful in the paint and there was little response from Germany defensively.
But GB’s scoring streak then went cold and they only registered on the scoreboard again with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Despite the slow start, Germany head coach Alexandra Maerz would have been pleased with her side’s resilience as they bounced back from a slow start to lead 15-14 after 10 minutes of play.
Three minutes into the second quarter, a Fagbenle layup and a big three from Vanderwal got the GB streak rising again. But this was when GB’s defensive excellence came into play as they held the Germany team to just six points and took an eight point lead into the second half at 29-21.
GB took control in the after the half-time break and while allowing Germany just seven points, their offense reached another level. An 11-2 run induced a German timeout with 5:48 remaining with a Helen Naylor three from distance extended GB’s lead to 20 points. A 23-point advantage was well deserved from an impressive 10 minutes of basketball that saw GB lead 51-28 going into the final stretch.
At one stage in the final quarter, Coach Buckle’s team extended their lead to 27 and they were able to play with comfort and freedom. Only Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby – who had been suffering from an infection this week – was unable to see game time while Lauren Thomas-Johnson and Eilidh Simpson were unable to play due to minor injuries. But this was an impressive margin of victory for a team with genuine confidence in their ability, impressive teamwork and an ability to share the workload.
The two sides will meet again on Sunday in a second closed game at the St John’s Campus Sports Centre. Follow GB Basketball on twitter for regular score updates.
Head Coach Peter Buckle told gbbasketball.com, “As a team we’ve all worked really hard defensively and we’re still trying to build our game. There were moments when Germany broke us down. We’re trying to play our way through those moments, so it’s good at this stage.
Details of the game can be found via the FIBA Live Stats website here.
Head Coach Peter Buckle told gbbasketball.com, “As a team we’ve all worked really hard defensively and we’re still trying to build our game. There were moments when Germany broke us down. We’re trying to play our way through those moments, so it’s good at this stage.”
Image Credit: Mansoor Ahmed Photography
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