Greeks third in Eurobasket
The national basketball team shook off its semifinal loss to Spain on Saturday (82-64) to beat Slovenia 57-56 last night and earn the bronze medal in the 2009 Eurobasket competition in Poland. In what was one of the tightest of Greece’s games in the tournament, the imposing figure of forward Sofoklis Schortsanitis made the difference for the Greeks, as he scored 23 points, a personal record in international games. Coach Jonas Kazlauskas’s players had the lead for most of the game, not once allowing the Slovenians to think they could get the upper hand. With an advantage that at times reached 10 points, the Greeks ensured they held the Slovenians to low scoring levels. Slovenia eventually made a last-gasp effort to win the match through successive fouls but Schortsanitis and Nikos Zisis confirmed the bronze medal for Greece with their crucial points from the line.