Sweden Stuns Russia And Gets Big Win

Sweden 65 - Russia 56

Cleopatra Forsman Goga scored the game's first  three points with seconds in the first but immediately suffered an 8-0 run and trailed all the first having in front a Russian outfit that dominated the game in the offense leaning on Anna Ostroukhova and Anastasia Logunova, who scored 6 points apiece from Russia's 22 in the first.

Sweden was playing an up-tempo game and their excellent defense to avoid Russia from pulling away. Cleopatra Forsman Goga and Danielle Hamilton Carter kept Sweden in the game offensively, also scoring 6 apiece from Sweden's 15 and their team ended the first trailing 22-15.

Sweden completed a 9-0 run which sparked in the last seconds of the first by Stephanie Yderström and capped by a three pointer from Kajsa Lundahl which tied the game at 22, leaving Russia scoreless in the first two minutes of the second. After a short trade Frida Fogdemark put Sweden finally in front with a three pointer after 4:15 in the second, making it 27-26.

Ekaterina Kiryanova put Russia back in front in the ensuing possession, 28-27, but Cleopatra Forsman Goga put the Swedes back in front and Stephanie Yderström was the go to placer in the offense until the break scoring her last 9 points of the game to sum up 13 overall. A threepointer by herself gave Sweden its biggest advantage until that moment, 41-31 with 43 seconds remaining for the break.

Russia didn't find its game in the second but Liubov Paskalenko with a three point play, and Anna Ostroukhova witha  trey beating the buzzer avoid Sweden to reach the interval with double digit margin. Ostroukhova made it 42-37 after a freebie scored by Danielle Hamilton Carter in the previous play. 

Sweden was confident after the break and leaded by Cleopatra Forsman Goga, Danielle Hamilton Carter and a huge defensive effort didn't allow Russia developing its game  so Jan Enjebo's team kept its noses in front the whole third quarter. Russia, not used to trail, didn't know how to overcome the situation. After trading baskets at the beginning of the quarter none of the teams scored during three minutes (From 1:30 to 4:30) and Sweden up, 45-41, after a basket by Liubov Paskalenko.

Ekaterina Kiryanova broke Russia's scoring drought making it 45-43 after 4:10, but Olga Shuneykina's team didn't complete the comeback and the swedish defense gave them  the chance to make a 9-0 run to regain the double digit margin, 54-43, leaving scoreless Russia more than four minutes and leading to Shuneykina's timeout.

Cleopatra Forsman Goga capped the run making it 11-0 and giving Sweden its biggest advantage, 60-45, with 1:13 remaining in the third, finally closing the gap Aleksandra Melnikova with a jumper with 30 seconds remaining and made it 60-47 entering the last ten minutes.

Sweden's defense paid off for Jan Enjebo's team. Russia needed three minutes to score four straight points to make it 60-51 after a jumper from Anastasia Logunova, who had disappeared since minute seven in the second, but Russia wouldn't score until three minutes and a half later, when Anastasiya Shilova, starter and capped a 5-0 run in nearly one minute to close the gap for Russia, 60-56, with 2:17 remaining.

The struggling in Sweden's offense was alarming since they were watching their lead being cut and how their shots didn't go in, and it wasn't until there were 1:57 remaining, when Danielle Hamilton Carter scored again for Sweden, making it 62-56. She would score herself again in the ensuing possession after converting a freebie, and Cleopatra Forsman Goga closed the score 65-56 after leaving Russia scoreless again during that two minutes span.

Cleopatra Forsman Goga lead Sweden with 26 pts, 7 boards ans 4 assists. Danielle Hamilton Carter added 13 pts and 8 boards, Stephanie Yderström had 13 pts, 6 boards and 4 assists and Frida Fogdemark added 8 pts and 10 boards.

Anastasia Logunova had 10 pts and 9 boards for Russia and Tatiana Petrushina added 13 pts.