Last Seconds Free Throws Put Russia Into The Final

Russia 62 - Czech Republic 60

Russia put ahead from the very beginning and lead the whole first half. Czech Republic tried to play uptempo but they struggled in the shooting.  Alexandra Tarasova scored Russia’s first eight points of the game, Trading baskets during the most of the first, apart from a one minute span (Between the 8th and the 9th) when Russia made a 6-0 run which gave them its biggest lead in the quarter, 17-10, after a three pointer from Tatiana Petrushina. Karolina Elhotova scored the final points for the Czechs to make it 19-12.  

Russia only scored three points in the first four minutes of the second thanks to the Czechs defensive improvement which put Romana Ptácková’s team into a one point deficit three times, being the last with 2:44 for the break, 27-26, after a three pointer from Renata Brezinová, after which Anastasia Loginova scored the three pointer ro put Russia 30-26 in front. Previously, watching her team’s struggling, Olga Shuneykina put  Liubov Paskalenko in to try and change the game and it worked. The 2’04 center was five minute on the court intimidating the czechs in the paint and scoring 6 points, helping her team to reach the interval ahead 35-28.  

The Czechs Republic came out focused in the third and completed a 9-0 run sparked by the last first half basket from Karolina Elhotova and took the lead for the first time in the game, 37-35, leading to a time out from Russia, after which Shuneykina’s team reacted scoring a 10-1 run –with five points from  Alexandra Tarasova- leaving the Czechs scoreless almost three and a half minutes and taking back the lead, 45-37, with 3:06 remaining in the third, when Eva Skutilová hit the three pointer to make it 45-40, and ending the third 49-43 for the Russians after trading baskets during that last three minutes.

Russia’s best placer during the tournament, Anastasia Logunova, came back in the beginning of thee fourth after sitting out  all the third since she picked up her fourth foul with only 20 seconds in the fourth, however the Czechs got tough in defence and little by little erased the gap. With 4:06 remaining Katerina Bartonová tied the score and half a minute later, Karolina Elhotová put the Czechs back in front, 57-56 with a layup. Anatasia Logunova made it 58-57 with a freebie but in the ensuing posession Renata Brezinová scored the threepointer to put the Czechs in front again, 60-58, with 2:18 remaining. Teams missed two offenses each until Renata Brezinova fouled  Tatiana Petrushina with 50 seconds remaining. The forward scored both free throws to level the game at 60. The next attack the Czechs didn’t execute and Petrushina was fouled again with 8 seconds in the clock. She scored both and gave the victory to Russia, 62-60, with Katerina Bartonová missing a potential winning game three pointer for the Czech Republic.

Russia’s Alexantra Tarasova had 16 pts and 14 boards, Anastasia Loginova added 11 pts and 9 boards and Tatiana Petrushina 14 pts and 8 boards.

For the Czech Republic Renata Brezinová had 13 pts and 12 rebounds, Karolina Elhotová added 8 pts and 7 boards and Eva Skutilová 8 pts, with 11 pts from Pavla Svrdlíková.