Grgic: "One of Slovenian women's basketball's greatest days"

PRAGUE (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017) - Slovenia's head coach Damir Grgic was pleased to get off the mark with their maiden FIBA EuroBasket Women victory over Greece - and he sees a bright future ahead.

There was almost a "deer in the headlights" moment for Slovenia when they stepped out for the first time in the Final Round at FIBA EuroBasket Women.

Handed an unenviable introduction to the big stage with an opener against the powerful French program, they struggled to find their feet, going scoreless until the sixth minute of the match.

"When we found our rhythm, we played well," reflected coach Grgic. The Slovenian team woke up to give France everything they could handle the rest of the way, and they had a shot to win in the final seconds, but Teja Oblak's corner three rimmed out.

It's the hope that kills - coming so close only to taste defeat deflated the camp, which was evident in their slow start against Greece. Grgic and his team were looking down the barrel of an 0-2 start with a game against defending European champions and their great friends and rivals Serbia to come.

But Grgic, who has spent the past eight years at Slovenian club ZKK Celje, is building a reputation for his tactical acumen as well as his player development skills, which have seen him work with almost all members of the national team roster at some point at club level.

And Grgic's adjustments, as well as the backing of a lively crowd in Prague, helped Slovenia to storm back from a 10-point half-time deficit to claim their ground-breaking victory: "In the first half we were empty, without energy - but our crowd, plus the opportunity to play at FIBA EuroBasket Women, lifted us in the second half to take this historic win."

"I think we have some of the best fans in Europe. They come and cheer for us, and I'm really thankful and glad that they come. They really give us more power on the court," Grgic said. "I feel very good, very proud - for everyone in Slovenian basketball, not just the players here, but really everyone who works in Slovenian basketball. It was one of our greatest days."

For talented forward Eva Lisec, there was another reason to remember the day fondly for years to come. On her 22nd birthday, she led the team in scoring with 15 points. She was satisfied with the outcome of the first two days of action: "We are still underdogs, we are still no-one - if you see the FIBA rankings, we are zero, and France is ranked third. So we are actually relaxed about it. We came here to enjoy, to play some basketball, to show that we can play, and we are doing pretty well so far."

Lisec spent last season on loan at Hungarian champions Atomeromu, playing alongside national team veterans Maja Erkic and Sandra Pirsic: "They were like my mamas - with them I grew up as a person, so it was a really good season behind me."

She will return to Italian club Famila Schio to play in EuroLeague Women for 2017/18 - "I'm looking forward to being back for the Orange!" - but she credits her loan spell as an important stage in her development: "I'm more confident. I had to take responsibility, so I learned that - if the team is not playing well, I cannot stop, I must continue. And I improved in my technical skills also, so I thank the coaches in Hungary for this."

Coach Grgic exudes passion on the sidelines, and Lisec says it's much the same behind the scenes: "He's a little bit crazy! He knows what to do, when to say something. He's a really good psychologist, and he thinks about it - if he wants to do Plan A, you have to keep up with him. We all respect him and he respects us, which is really important in the relationship between coach and players. We are friends, which is also a good thing. So when things are working and there's good chemistry, you see this also on the court, so i think this is our advantage."

Grgic enjoys watching basketball from all over the continent and says that he picks up various tips from his observations: "I'm thinking about basketball almost 24/7, because I don't sleep so well! I cannot switch off - I mean, with my family it's fine, my wife is not involved in the sport, and for me it's good to have something different, and spending time with my kids too. But otherwise, almost all the time I'm thinking about basketball. I think in Celje we are doing very well over the last eight years - we are developing young players, not only Slovenian but a lot of players in the region. We have a plan in the club and good chemistry - this is my life."

"I like really aggressive basketball, when you run fast, when you think, when you're smart. Basketball for the fans - I like players who have more ideas than their opponent, so something like putting the ball through the legs, shooting way behind the three-point line, passing behind the back - do something for the people and enjoy, enjoy! Play hard, and enjoy."

It's clear to see that, for Grgic, this is just the beginning: "No way will we stop now! We will do everything to fight in the third game, with Serbia. We will try to force them to give us opportunity in this game, and it's no problem if we go home - we showed that we belong here. But we must have continuity. As a coach I will do everything so that we are at the next FIBA EuroBasket Women."

Slovenia's roster here contains two of the young guns who Grgic helped to lead to a fifth-place finish in the FIBA U18 European Championship Women on his home court in Celje in 2015, in the forms of Annamaria Prezelj and Larisa Ocvirk.

With the current constitution of the team, heavily reliant on an exceptional starting five with little depth on the bench, Lisec is hopeful that the next generation of women in the basketball-mad country are inspired: "I think already with this FIBA EuroBasket Women, people at home are looking and seeing that we are a good team, and this also inspires the younger players, so it brings a lot of positive things for Slovenian women's basketball."

Slovenia have a chance to end Serbia’s title defense early on Monday, where a win would guarantee them a spot in the Qualification For Quarter-Finals on Tuesday. There's also a scenario where losing by five points or fewer would leave them nervously hoping that France can beat Greece later in the day, otherwise they would go home. A defeat by six or more would certainly end Slovenia's tournament early.

But whatever the result, Slovenia are certainly glad to be on the board - and they're here to stay.

FIBA