European Championship
Compulsory tasks: basketball players have “desire for more”
Wants to get ahead with Germany’s basketball players: Alina Hartmann. photo
© Friso Gentsch/dpa
There wasn’t much of a surprise against France. Now there are more feasible opponents for Germany’s basketball team. Already on Friday it can be decisive.
After the brave opening performance with a 50:58 against co-favorite France, national coach Lisa Thomaidis encouraged the German basketball players.
“I’m not too disappointed. Now we have two quality teams, we have to defend hard and play together as a team. Our length can help us,” said Thomaidis in Ljubljana. The game against European runners-up France was seen as a kind of bonus game – especially since it was the first tournament game for Germany in almost twelve years.
This Friday (6:00 p.m. / Magentasport) against hosts Slovenia and on Sunday (12:15 p.m.) against Great Britain, it is important to avert a quick exit from the preliminary round. At least one win is required for this. Slovenia also lost at the start, so both teams are already under a lot of pressure in the Arena Stozice. “Now are the games that we have to win if we want to get out of the group,” said Alina Hartmann, who impressed in the first game with eight points and a perfect three-point quota.
The defeat against France, in which Germany acted as equals for a long time, should give strength for the rest of the tournament. “France are very strong opponents but we gave them a good game,” said Hartmann. Without the missing leading player Leonie Fiebich, they “really did a good job”. The game makes “hope and desire for more,” said Hartmann.