Belarus: Another good surprise?

After snatching a surprising bronze medal in their first ever appearance at a EuroBasket Women, Belarus would like to go once more against all odds and grab one of the last tickets for Beijing…

For the longest time, Belarus was non-existent on the basketball map. Again and again and again, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, Belarus failed to qualify for the EuroBasket Women. When they made the breakthrough and clinched a place in the final round of Europe's elite competition for the 2007 final round in Italy, no one really knew what to expect. Coach Anatoli Buyalski had a team of unknowns. They defeated Croatia and Serbia in the first round behind big performances from Yelena Leuchanka and then, in the Quarter-Final Qualifying Round, Belarus did not look like a team that was capable of reaching the podium. They began with defeats to traditional heavyweights Russia and France but then drilled hosts Italy in Chieti to seal a place in the last eight. In the triumph that eliminated the azurre, Belarus showed a little bit of everything, from the power of Yelena Leuchanka to the sweet shooting of Anastasiya Verameenka to the fiery leadership and defensive intensity of point guard Natalia Marchanka. As they finished off the Italians, Belarus played with so much confidence that that those watching had to wonder if they were witnessing the emergence of a new powerhouse on the continent. Belarus' players provided the answer in the next game, a quarter-final win over EuroBasket 2005 winners the Czech Republic, to clinch a place in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Madrid. Belarus lost to Spain in the semi-finals, but Buyalski's players left Chieti on a high after with bronze medals hanging from their necks after jumping out to a big lead against Latvia and then holding on for a 72-63 triumph.

If Anzhela Duboiskaya, who averaged 26.7 points and 9.7 rebounds during the qualifying round for the EuroBasket Women in 2001 had been the symbol of excellence of the country before, Leuchanka, Marchanka and Verameenka became the symbols of excellence for the new Belarus. The 1.96 m center Leuchanka and the 1.92m Verameenka are formidable. They are the twin towers of Belarus, though the former's game is built more on power while the latter's based on a smooth, unerring shooting stroke and deceiving toughness on the boards. Leuchanka tore apart Italy (18 points, 10 rebounds), Serbia (14 pts, 11 rbs) and future champions Russia (18 pts). Verameenka had 15 points and nine rebounds against France, 12 and 11 against the Italians, nine and 11 against Spain and 15 points against Latvia. For the tournament, she shot 69% from the floor. Marchanka, who made the all-tournament team, buried an eye-popping 52.4% (11 of 21) from long range and 59% (13 of 22) inside the arc.

After their spectacular showing in Italy, nobody will take Belarus lightly. Going into the paint against Leuchanka and Verameenka will be a risky venture while protecting the rim against them won't be easy, either. Don't make the mistake in thinking this is just a three-star team. Add the defence of Svetlana Volnaya, the dynamic all-round play of Katsiaryna Snytsina and the three-point shooting of Tatyana Troina and Belarus will be a force to be reckoned with in Madrid. Belarus and Cuba will meet in what should be a fascinating group encounter with both expected to advance to the quarter-finals ahead of Chinese Taipei. Then, Belarus are almost certain to take on Spain or Brazil in the last eight. The quarter-final winners take four off the five players on offer for Beijing in Madrid.

Nobody in Europe expected this team to perform as well as they did against European powerhouses at last year's EuroBasket. Rest assured, that tournament was no fluke because the Belarus players, particularly Leuchanka in the EuroLeague Women with UMMC Ekaterinburg, went on to have very successful club campaigns. There is also the bonus of center Marina Kress now being fully fit and ready to contribute after seeing limited action last year.


How did they qualify

EuroBasket 2007
Bronze Medal (5 W - 4 L)

Results

Preliminary Round
Sept-24th 2007    Spain b. Belarus    76-62
Sept-25th 2007    Belarus b.Croatia    92-66
Sept-26th 2007    Belarus b. Serbia    79-53

Qualifying Round
Sept-29th 2007    France b. Belarus    72-60
Oct-1st  2007    Russia b. Belarus    87-73
Oct-3rd 2007    Belarus b. Italy    66-51
Quarter-Final
Oct-4th 2007    Belarus b. Czech Republic    52-46

Semi-Final
Oct-6th 2007    Spain b. Belarus    70-54

Bronze Medal game
Oct-7th 2007    Belarus b. Latvia    72-63