MNE - Lessons learned

LODZ (EuroBasket Women 2011) - The way Jelena Skerovic has brought the ball up the floor for Montenegro at the EuroBasket Women in Poland, a Championship that began back on June 18, you might be fooled into thinking she's played the game for most of her 30 years.

But that would be wrong.

Skerovic did not, as often happens in the Balkans, have a basketball placed in her cot as a baby.

"No," she says.

"I’ve played since I was 11.

"Before I played soccer, but just outside (pick-up games)."

Other than one tough game against Turkey, in the Quarter-Finals, Skerovic has looked like one of the best playmakers in Poland.

She is a slick ball-handler and efficient shooter.

Skerovic is, like some of the best midfielders in soccer, a conductor of the orchestra.

"I guess I am a natural point guard, but I learned from the best coaches," she says.

"Also, I guess I have the talent."

Bouncing back

The smile had returned to Skerovic's face when she was talking to FIBA.com on Friday.

It was less than 24 hours after a brutal Quarter-Final setback to Turkey, when Montenegro went from the only undefeated team in the Championship to 6-1 and with no chance of winning a medal.

Turkey won 56-44 but their margin of victory could have been far greater.

It was one of the hardest defeats that Skerovic had experienced in her career.

"Yes, it was," she says.

"But there was a lot of pressure because everyone was talking like we were going to go for the medal.

"We were inexperienced and we showed this.

"Turkey played very good defense and we couldn't get ourselves together and missed a lot of open shots.

"Everything bad just happened all at once."

The Olympic dream lives on

If being out of medal contention after just one defeat in six games seems cruel, clinching fifth place would feel like winning a medal.

Montenegro followed up that defeat to Turkey with a gritty 68-59 win over Lithuania and that has set up a battle for fifth place against Croatia.

Victory over Croatia would put the Montenegrins in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

For a long time, it didn't look as if Montenegro would have the strength and resolve to bounce back from the defeat to Turkey.

"It was very hard for us because yesterday's (Thursday's) loss really hurt," Skerovic said.

"But in the second quarter, we got our energy from the bench, we got together and we won this game.

"But it was very, very tough for us."

Milka Bjelica, a Montenegro center, says: "For us, getting to the Olympics would be like opening the door of basketball to Montenegro, to be able to compete with the best teams in world basketball."

Skerovic shares that sentiment.

Even if they finish sixth, Montenegro's players, she says, will leave with their heads held high.

"Yes, because our first goal here was only to get out of the first round," Skerovic says.

"We are in the top eight, now the top six teams in Europe.

"It's like a dream for us. The first time in a European Championship, it's a big success."

FIBA