Basketball: GB secure play-off against Montenegro for final eight EuroBasket place

Mollie Campbell

Whitworth’s silver Commonwealth medallist Mollie Campbell and the Great Britain women’s basketball team have secured a play-off against Montenegro on Monday (1 July) for a spot in the final eight of the EuroBasket tournament after beating Ukraine in their final group game.

The team beat Ukraine by 68-54 on Sunday (30 June) after losing 67-59 to Spain on Friday, despite remaining level until the final two minutes against the Spanish side, which is ranked number two in the world.

They won their first game of the tournament against hosts Latvia by 74-60.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/128765/basketball-gb-win-first-eurobasket-tournament-game-against-latvia

Only the top team in each four-team group qualifies automatically for the quarter-finals, with second and third going into play-offs.

GB's play-off, set up by a surprise 13-point win by the Montenegrins over the Czech Republic, and Latvia's narrow defeat to Spain, will be at 7.00pm BST tonight (1 July).

Mollie, who plays centre for Leicester Riders, said: “From there, it’s hopefully quarter finals and beyond.”

Mollie was the youngest player of England's basketball squad that won a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, and hopes to take part in the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/118003/basketball-whitworth-student-helps-england-women-win-silver-at-the-commonwealth-games

Her basketball career began at the age of 12, when she followed in her brother’s footsteps and took up the sport, playing for Manchester Mystics.

EuroBasket sees 16 of Europe’s best teams compete for the crown, taking place between 27 June and 7 July.