Boxscores

BRATISLAVA (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Hosts the Slovak Republic continued their unbeaten run in the Women`s U19 World Championships to top Group A with a 78-65 victory over Argentina in Bratislava.

A 22-point haul from Regina Palusna and a further 13 points from Janka Mincikova was enough to hand the hosts victory and a safe passage through to the next phase.

Stephany Thomas Diaz kept Argentina in the hunt with 25 points but it proved to be too little to prevent them from finishing at the foot of the standings.

The group winners soon took control of the game and raced into a 24-14 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Yet the South American side regained their composure at the start of the second period to reduce the deficit to a mere three points.

They maintained that form to ensure they only went into the half-time interval trailing by six (39-33).

Argentina looked to spring a shock as they drew level and then took a two-point lead at the start of the third quarter.

Yet the Slovaks refused to be clawed back and soon regained control to take a 58-51 advantage going into the final period.

And the lead proved to be too much for the visitors as Palusna kept finding the net to help seal a 13-point victory.

Alena Rojikova
FIBA