Twenty-four hours after their 77-55 demolition of Ukraine, Pokey Chatman's team beat the Czechs - one of the powerhouses in the game in the last six years.
The victory over their rivals was a first since 2001 when the Slovakians won 85-70 in a Preliminary Round
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| Jana Veselá had 12 points for the Czech Republic who will need a win on the final day of the Preliminary Round if they hope to advance. |
Zuzana Zirkova, who played on that Slovakia team and also the last one to appear in a EuroBasket six years ago, had 18 points in Monday's victory.
The point guard turned 29 on Saturday.
When asked how it felt to beat the Czech Republic, where she plays for Gambrinus Sika Brno and knows many of the Czech national team stars like Jana Vesela and Eva Viteckova, Zirkova replied: "It was just a game like any other game, but maybe a little special since I know some of their players."
The Czechs led by as many as six points in the first half when they hit five of seven shots from three-point range.
Vesela and Katerina Elhotova each connected on both of their attempts but inside the arc, Milan Veverka's team was just seven of 26.
Zirkova admitted that Slovakia didn't feel comfortable on the court for the first 20 minutes.
"In the first half, we were a little tight and a little stressed. In the second half, we played great defense, helping each other out."
"This is a learning experience for them and I also want them to enjoy it," Chatman said.
"They came over to the bench once and looked really serious and I asked them, 'Who is winning by three?' and they said, 'we are.'
"So I said, 'Well then look like it. You should enjoy this.'"
Slovakia missed out on the EuroBasket Women in 2005 and 2007 after losing in the Additional Qualifying Round ahead of each event.
"We showed last year in the qualification we are growing," said Zirkova, who played for the national team at the 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women in Berlin.
"We took another step today."
"One of the secrets to this team is to be relaxed," said former Slovakia coach Natalia Hejkova, who is on the bench again but as the sports director for the national team.
"What's there to be stressed about? It's so much easier to play when you don't put pressure on the team. This is down to Pokey."
While the self-belief is growing in the Slovakia camp, the Czechs are questioning themselves.
Just four years ago, the Czechs were the best team in Europe and won gold at the EuroBasket Women in Turkey.
They have played at the last two Olympics and will host next year's FIBA World Championship for Women.
The absence of veteran point guard Hana Horakova, who was given this summer off to rest, has opened the door for the exciting Katerina Bartonova to start.
The 19-year-old has all the tools to play at the highest level but against Slovakia she had just three assists while committing five turnovers.
"We have young players and unfortunately, our playmaker didn't have a great game and made some bad passes whereas yesterday it was our centers that struggled," Czech coach Milan Veverka said.
"Hopefully tomorrow, we can get both to play well.
"But for us, the important thing is for the young players that are in the team to gain senior experience. I think we are giving them that. We are just lacking concentration in the key moments and that has to do with experience."
The Czechs, who led Spain for much of their game on Sunday but lost, now need a victory over Ukraine to advance.
"We just need to have better concentration in the third quarter," another 19-year-old Czech guard, Katerina Elhotova, said.
"It happened against Spain, too."
