| 04.08.2007
Sweden will play for fifth place at the Termosteps U16 European Championship Women after holding hosts Latvia scoreless for nearly the final four minutes in collecting 55-47 victory.
Cleopatra Forsman B. Goga scored 14 points while Farhiya Abdi had 11 points and Amanda Zahui Bazoukou's 14 rebound helped the Swedes to a 42-30 rebounding advantage.
The 2006 Division B Champions Sweden will at worst take home a sixth-place finish in their first U16 Division A tournament since 1982 - which will be great improvement on their previous best of 11th place in 1980 and 1982.
The Swedes will play Russia on Sunday to determine fifth place.
The hosts Latvia - who lost to Sweden in the 2006 Division B final - will face Hungary for seventh place on Sunday.
Latvian Sabine Niedola continued her stellar showing in Valmiera with 12 points and 12 rebounds - her seventh straight double-double. Anete Kirsteine added 11 points while Linda Pagrode chipped in nine points, three rebounds and eight assists in a losing effort.
Sweden opened a nine-point early in the second quarter but the game was tied at the break. It was back-and-forth until Niedola's basket trimmed Sweden's lead to 50-47 with 3:53 remaining.
But Sweden worked hard defensively and forced the Latvians into missing their final six shots and one turnover. |
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