After the first quarter, Bulgaria gained an advantage of 5 points (27-22). This was followed by a great opening of the second quarter for Croatia and a 10-0 series for an express takeover (27-32). By halftime, Stipe Bralić’s team was up by 10 (38-48).
The third quarter was marked by the attacking play of both teams. After Andrijana Cvitković’s three-pointer, Croatia was up 49-63, and Bulgaria fought back with a series of 5-0 for 54-63. Vital points were then scored by Iva Slonjšak, and Croatia entered the last quarter leading Croatia 59-70.
The minor attacking crisis at the opening of the final quarter was compensated by an excellent defense, so three minutes without points did not affect the result. Croatia had their most significant advantage during the game at 61-76. Bulgaria scored 4 points in a row and, with an aggressive defense, made Croatia nervous. However, no one could stop Andrijana Cvitković. With a new three-pointer, she took Croatia to an unattainable +14 (68-82). By the end, Bulgaria had only managed to mitigate the defeat to 73-84.
Coach Stipe Bralić: “Tough match, we practically gathered 14 players from 14 clubs across Europe with two to three training sessions and played against the home team of Bulgaria, a hugely well-coordinated team. Bulgaria has been playing in the same team for seven or eight years; most of their players are from two home clubs, they had a week of training together before this game, and that was obvious.
They have extremely good shooters, they hit everything in the first 10 minutes, and it was not easy to get out of that situation. However, with great actions and a pretty good attack in the second quarter, we managed to break the game with counters and three-pointers and take the 10-point lead. In the second half, that advantage was maintained, but, I say, it was a very awkward game to start the qualifications against a solid and experienced team. Nevertheless, the girls died on the field, even when we were losing by a few points, they didn’t lose their head, but showed their quality.”
Captain Ivana Dojkić: “We played a good game; I’m proud of all the girls. I think we lost focus in just a few moments and didn’t keep the game in our hands. But we are a young team, we need to work on it, and with more experience in the future, we play smart in situations like this. I am positively surprised with the new girls in the national team; all the girls who came in from the bench gave extra energy, which we need – that everyone can contribute to our game. We always gain confidence with a victory, but on Sunday, we will have a tough game. We have nothing to lose; we will play a quality game and enjoy what we are doing.”
Iva Slonjšak: “The first quarter was not at our level, but then we started waking up and playing our game. Today, we were not constant, but I am happy with the larger number of players who reached a double-double. Now we have to see what things need to be corrected to prepare for Serbia.”
Andrijana Cvitković: “It was quite a difficult end due to several personal mistakes, but we managed to fight and play smart without fouls, which was important to keep the rhythm of the game. Most importantly, we managed to win. Serbia is waiting for us; we all know that it will be a tough match. Every girl needs to be ready; let’s do our best and hope, of course, for the best.”
Source: HKS
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