| 06 September 2010
Two days into the Eight-Finals of the FIBA World Championship and one thing is crystal clear. Europe is loaded with quality teams because the old continent has placed four teams in the Quarter-Finals already and there are still four places up for grabs. After wins for Serbia and Spain on Saturday, Slovenia delivered a first-half knockout against Australia 24 hours later before tournament hosts Turkey demolished France. Russia will take on New Zealand on Monday and Lithuania will face China on Tuesday.  | | Jaka Lakovic erupted for 19 points on 5/11 from three point range in the routing of Australia |
The party is on in Ljubljana, with Slovenia's 87-58 rampage against Australia having earned them trip to the last eight for the first time in their history. "It's a fantastic feeling to have made it to the Quarter-Finals of the competition," Slovenia guard Goran Dragic said. "We have worked so hard to arrive here and I think we did a great job." Slovenia overcame a sluggish start to take a 42-21 lead to half-time and they blew the Oceania team away in the second half for an 87-58 victory. With Dragic darting into the lane, drawing the defense to him and finding open teammates on the perimeter, the Slovenians buried the Aussies early on with an avalanche of three-pointers. They finished 16 of 33 (48.5%) from long range. "We came out very strong, executed well and kept our focus from start to finish," Dragic said. Turkey, meanwhile, were like a buzz saw against France in the nightcap and won, 95-77. The French team started confidently but had no answers for Bogdan Tanjevic's two-three zone that has been strangling the life out of all the teams in the tournament so far.  | "High five" For Hedo Türkoglu as Turkey ended the tournament for France in dominant fashion
|
Kerem Tunceri led the first-half effort for Turkey with three steals while Hedo Türkoglu and Sinan Güler sparked the home side on offense. When it was over, Turkey's defense had been so good that Tanjevic's team had 21 points off turnovers. Türkoglu, who led the way with 20 points, said: "Everyone contributed to this win. This team deserves it, the crowd deserves it and our nation deserves it. "We have two more games to get to where we want." Slovenia and Turkey will now meet in the last eight, a game that is likely to be the hardest of the tournament so far for both sides. "They play with great intensity and it's going to be another test for us," Tanjevic said. |