Spain overcomes late Serbian rally, claims berth for the World Championship

Spain 69 - Serbia 64

Spain lead in the first half. They started the game with a 7-0 run to make it 7-2, and got its biggest lead 17-7 in the first four minutes. From that point on both teams sttruggled to scored, being Spain’s defence what made the difference in that minutes. In the second half of the quarter teams traded baskets and Spain reached the end of the first 22-15.

The second started as the first finished, with both teams struggling to score. Both teams only added 7 points -5 from Spain and two from Serbia- in the first five minutes and a half, but after Nevena Jovanovic nailed the three pointer to make it 19-27, Isabel Pérez (2 pts) and Leo Rodríguez (A three point play) scored five straight points for Spain to reach the double digit margin with 3:18 for the break and kept it until that moment after trading baskets during the next minutes, reaching the interval 25-39.

After the break Serbia came in the game. They scored a 10-1 run, leaving Spain scoreless Turing four minutes to trail 37-44 with 4:35 remaining. Leo Rodríguez scored a three point play to recover the double digit margin, 37-47, with 4:11 to the end of the tirad, but Serbia kept on pushing from the defence and that resulted into Spain’s troubles to score which allowed them to make  a 10-2 run in the next two minutes, capped by a three pointer from Latinka Dusanic that got Serbia in the game after closing the gap to two points, 49-47, with 2:20 remaining in the third, the battle continued until Serbia finally levelled the score with 9 seconds remaining in the quarter, after a basket from Sara Krnjic that made it 53-53 at the end of the third.

Spain re-focused Turing the quarter interval and came out strong scoring a 6-0 run, with 4 points from Leonor Rodríguez, just to begin struggling again in front of Zoran Kovacic’s team. Tina Jovanovic put her team into two point deficit, 59-57, after 3:10 in the quarter. Then Vega Gimeno showed up and scored five straight points, a three pointer and a Jumper, to give Spain fresh air, leading to a time out from Serbia with 64-57 in the score after 3:53. Both teams stopped scoring then Turing two minutes. With 4:24 remaining in the game Sara Krnjic made it 64-59, but Marta Tudanca scored a three pointer in the next posession to make it 67-59 and the trade begin again. Another three pointer from Latinka Dusanic got her team close, 67-64, with 49 seconds remaining. In the next play a freebie from Leo Rodríguez made it 68-64 with 17 seconds remaining. Serbia turned the ball over in the ensuing possession, fouling Marta Tudanca who sealed the game from the charity stripe making it 69-64.

Leo Rodríguez scored 18 pts for Spain, Isabel Pérez added 14 points and Cristina Ouviña and Marta Tudanca added 10 apiece. Adding Tudanca 8 boards.  

Jovana Popovic, Sara Krnjic and Tina Jovanovic scored 13 pts apiece each for Serbia. Sara Krnjic added 14 rebounds and Tina Jovanovic grabbed 11 boards.