Slovak national basketball team gathered direction Kaunas in the morning today. Second largest city of Lithuania will be place of their second appearance in qualification for EuroBasket Women France 2013. Home team was before the start of qualification considered as the "biggest" favorite in "our" GROUP C, but second duel of our next opponent showed that its possible to beat anyone.

Qualification results of next opponent of Slovak NT up to now:

13.06.2012 Lithuania – Netherlands 88 : 47

16.06 2012 Slovenia – Lithuania 79 : 68

After decisive triumph over Netherlands came very unexpected loss of team coached by experienced coach Algirdas Paulauskas (in previous season head coach of UMMC Yekaterinburg). Their hesitation against Slovenia catapulted girls from western Balkans on the first place in GROUP C.

Qualification Round – Group C:

1. Slovenia 2 / 0 + 15 4

2. Lithuania 1 / 1 + 30 3

3. SLOVAKIA 1 / 0 + 15 2

4. Belgium 0 / 2 - 19 2

5. Netherlands 0 / 1 - 29 1

Slovaks managed to copy "Slovenian way" in the first game, when they imitated triumph over Belgium of team "steered" by head coach Boris Zrinski. Our NT should implement such model also on Wednesday – in the first game against Lithuania in qualification round ever. We have played against Lithuania four times, but always on final tournament of European championship – last time on EuroBasket Women 2011 in Poland.

Results of the previous mutual games:

20.06.2011 Slovakia – Lithuania 57 : 46 (Poland, EuroBasket Women 2011, Group A)

19.09.2001 Slovakia – Lithuania 63 : 76 (France, EuroBasket Women 2001, Group B)

04.06.1999 Lithuania – Slovakia 63 : 69 (Poland, EuroBasket Women 1999, quarterfinals)

15.06.1997 Lithuania – Slovakia 72 : 62 (Hungary, EuroBasket Women 1997, finals)

Romana VYŇUCHALOVÁ, center of Slovak NT:

Fixtures and results of Slovak NT in EuroBasket women qualification round:

Saturday 16th June 2012 Slovakia – Belgium 62 : 49 Košice, Infiniti aréna, 6 pm.

Wednesday 20th June 2012 Lithuania – Slovakia Kaunas, 7 pm.

Saturday 23rd June 2012 Slovakia – Netherlands Košice, Infiniti aréna, 7 pm.

Tuesday 26th June 2012 Slovenia – Slovakia Ljubljana, 6 pm.

Wednesday 4th July 2012 Belgium – Slovakia Brussels, 8 pm.

Saturday 7th July 2012 Slovakia – Lithuania Poprad, Aréna Poprad, 6 pm.

Wednesday 11th July 2012 Netherlands – Slovakia Almere, 7.30 pm.

Saturday 14th July 2012 Slovakia – Slovenia Ružomberok, ŠH Koniareň, 6 pm.

Ivan BENNINGHAUS, manager of Slovak NT: