GB Senior Women Book EuroBasket 2019 Spot with Portugal Rout

Great Britain Senior Women sealed their place at EuroBasket Women 2019 in Serbia and Latvia following a resounding 83-42 win over Portugal at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Belle Vue, Manchester on Wednesday night.

With second placed Greece beating Israel earlier in the day in the other qualifying game in GB’s group, the pressure was on for coach Chema Buceta and his side to deliver the goods in front of a passionate home crowd.

And Great Britain did just that – leading from start to finish, shooting an efficient 49 percent on the night, holding Portugal to just 25 percent from the field.

The win meant GB finish with a 5-1 record atop of Group D. Rachael Vanderwal led all scorers for Great Britain with 21 points, which included a perfect 5/5 from three-point land. Jo Leedham flirted with a triple-double, with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists and Temi Fagbenle added 17 points.

On her 101st and final cap, Azania Stewart had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks before coming off for the last time in a GB uniform with 1:21 remaining to a standing ovation from the crowd in Manchester.

GB Head Coach Jose Maria Buceta commented:

“I think this is a very happy day, because we reached our goal, but in a way sad, because this is Azania’s last game. It’s great to get a win and now we look forward to EuroBasket in 2019.”

Image Credit: Mansoor Ahmed/Ahmedphotos

Do you like our work?

We have a tiny favour to ask. In 2018 we set out to make Hoopsfix sustainable by building our relationship directly with our readers. Up until now, Hoopsfix has been creating editorials, videos and podcasts to provide sorely missing coverage of the British game and its distinct culture and community.

We have funded Hoopsfix with our freelance work creating basketball media, but sadly that means not only does it fall behind our client’s priorities, but some of those clients are the same organisations we need to report objectively on putting us in a conflicted position.

We want to devote more time to our mission of helping British basketball reach its potential, and produce even more content for the basketball community by making Hoopsfix a sustainable 100% independent business funded directly by our readers through Patreon.

If everyone who enjoys our content chose to support us, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $3 per month, you can support Hoopsfix – and it only takes a minute.

We are tremendously honoured and humbled to have a community of people who value what we do, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the British game as it continues to evolve.

Support Hoopsfix