MINSK, 20 June (BelTA) – The Belarusian national women's basketball team beat Korea for a ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, BelTA has learned.
Belarus opened the game by scoring the first 12 points. The Koreans later found their game and the first quarter finished at 12-8. The Belarusians retook the initiative to make it 27-16 in the second. With a tight competition throughout the end of the game the Belarusians claimed the victory 56-39. Lindsay Harding finished with a game-high 17 points.
At the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Nantes, France the Belarusian team took the first place in Group C after a 71-60 win over Nigeria and a 65-66 loss to Korea. In the quarterfinal Belarus lost to China 70-84, and needed a 84-44 win over Argentina to reach the repechage final.
With the win, Belarus joins Brazil, the USA, Serbia, Canada, Australia, Senegal, Japan, France, China, Spain and Turkey in the Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament that will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 6-20 August. The teams will be divided into two groups. Four best teams from each group will advance into the playoff stage. Belarus will take part in the Olympic Games for the second time. In 2008 Anatoly Buyalsky's team finished 6th in Beijing.
