Germany women's basketball beats Mali 83-58, advances to intermediate round at home World Cup

Collectively strong: The German women's basketball team showed their best tournament performance at this World Cup. Source: Maja Hitij/Getty Images

The German women's basketball team surged into the next knockout round of the home World Cup with a dominant performance. The DBB selection quickly put surprise team Mali in their place and celebrated an emphatic victory. Now, reaching the quarterfinals also seems within reach.

The German women's basketball team is gaining momentum at the home World Cup in Berlin and has advanced to the intermediate round thanks to a clear victory against Mali. The team, led by head coach Olaf Lange, won decisively 83:58 (49:32) against the African side in front of world and European champion Dennis Schröder, thereby achieving the minimum target.

Spain won the parallel game against Japan 79:59 and qualified directly for the last eight as group winners.

"We defended very well, rebounded very well," praised the German coach.

"I didn't start the tournament well, but we are like a family here. I could kiss them all," said Luisa Geiselsöder, who was named Player of the Game after an outstanding performance.

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In the fight for a quarterfinal spot, the German Basketball Federation's selection continues on Tuesday. The next opponent is South Korea. For the German team, it will be the fourth game in five days — a circumstance that coach Lange had criticized ahead of the decisive group game.

"That is quite intense. In my opinion, the schedule is too tight," the national coach said.

Player of the Game Luisa Geiselsöder with Dennis Schröder. Source: picture alliance/Eibner-Pressefoto/Max Vincen

However, there was no sign of fatigue among the hosts against Mali. In front of 12,550 spectators in the Uber Arena, Frieda Bühner was the top German scorer with 21 points. Additionally, Luisa Geiselsöder scored in double digits with 17 points.

Germany in the Game from the Start

Lange had warned about Mali before the match.

"Mali is very athletic, very strong, very dynamic, like some of the African teams," said the head coach. "It will be a completely different game than against Japan, which is fast but not nearly as physical. We have to adjust."

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Source: ran Basketball

And that adjustment worked out very well for the German team from the start. Two days after the victory against Japan, point guard Alexis Peterson was back in the squad. The American, naturalized two years ago, recovered in time from her food poisoning and directed play coming off the bench.

Two WNBA Players Shine

Against the underdog, who had surprisingly beaten Spain on Saturday, the DBB selection dominated the action from the beginning and led by five points after the first ten minutes (23:18). This was also due to Geiselsöder. The WNBA player had struggled in the first two games but contributed six important points in the first quarter against Mali.

In the second quarter, the German team pulled further ahead. Especially from distance, the German players had a good day and made 47 percent of their three-point shots before halftime. Three of those were credited to huge talent Bühner of the Portland Fire.