Basketball M: Thriller against Great Britain, quarter-finals possible

Fortunately, there is modern technology, otherwise sometimes you wouldn’t get the basics. At the European Basketball Championship, as usual, TV microphones pop out at team meetings during breaks – so interested parties were able to experience that Lisa Thomidis was unimpressed. The coach accused her players during the Group C match against Great Britain of “no intensity, no bite at all”.

She was right, the German basketball players once again maneuvered themselves into a helpless state. Above all, the charisma of the Canadian, who has only been in charge since April, has led to a resurgence: after halftime, her players suddenly start to run 16-0, the game becomes exciting, and in the end it is. 62:61.

For the first time since 1997, DBB won two matches in the tournament. Such recourse to women’s basketball archives is necessary to catalog what the German national team is currently doing in European tournaments in Slovenia and Israel.

After three matches (defeat against France, narrow victories over Slovenia and the United Kingdom) and the possibility of reaching the quarter-finals, the majority of positive things can be noted: apart from a few stages in which the attack seems broken, the selection around Leonie Vibich and Marie Julich are great resisting forces. It is not out of the question that Germany will qualify into the top eight on the continent against Slovakia in the intermediate round on Tuesday (6pm CEST, on Magentasport).

“We showed that we were physically and really wanted to win,” said Chief Vibich, 23, after the match against Great Britain. The sudden increase in willpower also attracted the national coach. “Going down by nine points was a brave win for us,” said Tomades. “Our defense is the cornerstone of our success, it frustrates opposing teams.” Indeed, the German defense is one of the best in the Middle East, someone always throws himself between them, and constant attention is guaranteed.

Up front, the ball doesn’t always run smoothly in longer attacking sequences, and an agonizing number of balls are lost. 57 turns is the highest in the tournament so far, there is a lack of composure and experience to quickly overcome the pressure of opponents. After all, the Fiebich wing is now a source of ideas. She recently found her form with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. She was out of the first game with knee problems — they haven’t been fixed in a long time, but somehow she does, she says. Fiebich doesn’t want to reveal exactly what damage has been done to her. Having torn cruciate ligaments in the past, she was forewarned.

In any case, she believes: “We are on a great path and we are still learning.” The Landsberg native, who was recently named La Liga Player of the Year, is optimistic. “I think every game we took a step forward in different aspects, and that will help in the next game.” There, her coach will probably give Thomaidis plenty of playing time again with Gülich, Luisa Geiselsöder and Emily Bessoir – all four around 1.90m tall. Great lineup never hurt basketball.