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    Croatia

    66-64
    Final score
    ( 23-11, 11-27, 15-14, 17-12)
    03 September 2008 20:00h
    Dubrovnik

    Romania

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    Referees: Zdravko Rutesic (MNE), Marjan Micevski (MKD) Spectators: 200
    GAME REPORT
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    PLAY BY PLAY
    03 September 2008

    Croatia did just enough to hold off Romania as they emerged from a tense finish with a 66-64 win in a EuroBasket Women qualifying Group C clash on Wednesday night.

    Having trailed 52-51 early in the fourth quarter, Croatia soon took the lead but could not shake off Romania.

    Petra Stampalija's lay-up with 2:09 gave them a seven-point lead, 63-56, but they could not hold it as Claudia Pop made a lay-up and then adding a jump-shot to cut the lead to three.

    Marta Cakic (Croatia)
    Marta Cakic had 13 points for Croatia
    Andja Jelavic made a pair of free-throws for Croatia but Annemarie Parau immediately hit back with a jump-shot that left the score at 65-62 with 20 seconds to go.

    Jelavic missed a pair of free throws to give Romania their chance, but Ildiko Vass came up empty on a jumper, and Ilijanic split a pair of free throws to put Croatia up by four with three seconds to go.

    There was still time for Maria Pascalau to hit a jump-shot for Romania, but they could do nothing to catch their hosts.

    Marta Cakic led Croatia with 13 points while Jelavic had 11 points and Stampalija collected 10 points and nine rebounds.

    Romania wasted 22 points and nine rebounds from Pascalau.

    The win is only Croatia's second of a tough campaign, lifting them to 2-4, while Romania stay last in Group C at 1-4.

    03 September 2008
    Marta Cakic, Croatia player:

    "It was a difficult victory. Pascalau hurt us. Even though not a single segment of our game was bad, I cannot be satisfied because we lost the lead, and did not manage to win by more than six points."

    Nenad Amanovic, Croatia coach:

    "To win was imperative. We deserved the victory, but we did not manage to win by seven points that we had hoped for. Our problem was on offense, we did not know how to answer to their aggressiveness. In addition, we do not have enough players in our rotation. When Romania made a 14-0 run in the second quarter, Cakic already had her fourth personal foul. Due to injury Ivona Matic did not enter the game any more, Jelena Ivezic was also injured, and we did not have Ana Lelas. In the second half, Nikolina Ilijanić kept our rhythm, but because of injury she played on her own responsibility."

    PHOTO GALLERY

    TOP PERFORMERS

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    10Pts22
    9Reb9
    1Ass0
    28Min39

    ACCUMULATED STATS

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    Croatia
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    Romania
    24/69FG M/A21/58
    21/54 (38.9%)FG2P M/A20/51 (39.2%)
    3/15 (20.0%)FG3P M/A1/7 (14.3%)
    15/23 (65.2%)FT M/A21/23 (91.3%)
    48 (19-29)Reb (O-D)35 (7-28)
    11Ass8
    22TO21
    17ST16
    4BS0
    21PF22
    66Pts64