Great Britain U18 Women · 19 min★★
8 pts15 reb0 ast26.0 TIB EFF
Bella Rogers took command of the glass as our GB U18 Women eased past North Macedonia 59–43 in Division B play, the 15-rebound performance anchoring a defence that yielded just 43 points across the fixture.
Rogers finished with 8 points to go with her rebounding work, adding a steal and a block in a display that epitomised the difference between the sides. On a night when our team's control was rarely in doubt, her work in the paint — both ends — kept North Macedonia starved of second chances and kept the rhythm entirely ours.
The 16-point margin flattered neither team's quality so much as it reflected how thoroughly our GB unit dominated the rebounding battle and transition game from the opening quarter. Next up is the fixture against the side ranked directly above or below in the group standings.
Great Britain U18 Women stamped their authority on Division B with a wire-to-wire demolition of North Macedonia, never trailing en route to a 59–43 victory that was settled early and never truly in doubt.
Our GB side went to work immediately, stringing together a 17-0 run from 4–4 in the opening quarter to establish a 21–4 lead they would only extend. By half-time, after a quieter second quarter, the advantage sat at 31–15; North Macedonia clawed back marginally in the third but could find no answer to the pace and structure of our defence. A 22–18 fourth quarter sealed the 16-point win comfortably.
Isey Guttormsdottir-Frost anchored the effort with 17 points and 13 rebounds (6/17 FG, 2/7 from three), adding three blocks for a double-double. Tiarna Chambers-Desmond chipped in 11 points on 4/10 shooting, whilst Bo Guttormsdottir Frost contributed 9 points and 7 rebounds. Jana Pislevska led North Macedonia with 16 points on difficult 6/21 shooting, her four steals unable to generate the offensive rhythm her team needed.
Great Britain travel to Slovakia on Tuesday — another chance to build on this controlled performance.
Ophelia Larder-Lee carries our GB attack into this Division B clash with North Macedonia, where the gap in individual form could prove decisive in the early stages.
Larder-Lee has been the standout across recent outings, averaging 9 points and 2 assists with a 37 TIB Efficiency rating — work that sits comfortably above her opposite number. Vanja Milosavljevikj offers North Macedonia defensive intensity and secondary playmaking (1 APG), but her 23 rating and 7-point average suggest limited offensive firepower to trouble our backline.
The matchup hinges on whether Great Britain can sustain pressure through Larder-Lee's handling and scoring touch, or whether North Macedonia find rhythm early through Milosavljevikj's halfcourt defence. Our GB have the superior individual talent on the wing; execution in transition and transition defence will determine whether that translates to scoreboard advantage.
Tip-off in three hours. Watch it live.
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