GBR - Mission accomplished for GB

BYDGOSZCZ (EuroBasket Women 2011) - Great Britain didn't arrive at the EuroBasket Women in Poland with the aim of winning a championship.

But they did show up expecting to fight for 40 minutes in every game and try to at least advance to Round 2.

On Monday night, after defeats to Belarus (55-40) and the Czech Republic (60-45) - two of the teams that reached the FIBA World Championship for Women Semi-Finals last year - the Brits tasted victory for the first time in the competition.

They not only beat Israel on Monday night and denied them their first-ever triumph in the Final Round, they trounced them, 75-51!

Tom Maher's team built a 37-24 lead by half-time and then made it look easy after the break as they assured themselves of at least three more games.

Those clashes against Lithuania, Turkey and Russia will be invaluable for an inexperienced side that is going to play at the London Olympics.

"It was a dream to win that game because it was a big, big game for us," Britain coach Tom Maher said.

"Even I was very nervous because I looked at their players like Shay Doron and Liron Cohen and they are such great players so I knew it would be hard for us.

"However, we just knuckled down and it was a comfortable win in the end.

"I think our performances here so far have been terrific.

"To get within 15 points of Belarus and the Czech Republic is reaching a high level for us."

Britain are going up against teams with players that have won titles in domestic competitions, and Europe.

Israel had players who recently celebrated the EuroCup Women victory over Arras, while the Czechs had former EuroBasket Women and EuroLeague Women winners.

"None of our players are ever going to make any European All-Star line-up, that's for sure," Maher said.

"We're just a hard-working team. We have to play together as a group."

Britain dominated the Israelis on the boards, out-rebounding them 46-25.

They also had a very good night shooting the ball, drilling five of six from long range.

Johannah Leedham, who was on hand for the big announcement in Lyon, France, back in March that the FIBA Central Board had voted to allow Britain's teams to play at the Olympics, hit three of four shots from long range on her way to 18 points.

Natalie Stafford also connected on both of her attempts and finished with 16 points, five assists and six rebounds.

Julie Page had a game-high nine rebounds to go with her 11 points and Kim Butler poured in 14 points and corralled eight boards.

"The rebounding was 46 to 25 and that was a team stat for us," Maher said.

"That's the sort of team we are.

"I really think we have had three fabulous results so far."

The sides that have advanced to Round 2 from Bydgoszcz are the Czech Republic, Belarus, Britain, Lithuania, Russia and Turkey while in Katowice, Montenegro, Spain, hosts Poland, Latvia, France and Croatia have progressed from the opening round.

FIBA