Lithuania upbeat despite losses of Paugaite, Sulciute
VILNIUS (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Lithuania have effectively confirmed their final roster for EuroBasket Women 2015 after having their hand forced by an injury to center Giedre Paugaite.
The 24-year-old, who averaged 10.7 points and seven rebounds per game at the EuroBasket two years ago in France, missed last summer's qualifications but was set to have a leading role again with the national team after a standout season for Tsmoki Minsk in Belarus.
An arm injury sustained in a friendly tournament in France has failed to heal, though, and therefore knocked her out of the competition.
Head coach Mantas Sernius has also lost another important member of his frontcourt rotation with veteran Egle Sulciute withdrawing for personal reasons.
As is always the case, however, the absences will create opportunities for other players to prove their worth.
The team's desire to prove what it can achieve despite the injuries is very high and the main aim is still to make it to the Olympics. - Sernius
"The final 12 is maybe not as we imagined at the beginning of preparations for EuroBasket Women," Sernius said.
"But we are very motivated and focused on the factors that led to qualification."
Rising star Laura Juskaite has been rushed back to help out in camp.
Lithuania will rely more than ever on their center Gintare Petronyte, who set the tone last summer for a successful qualifying campaign when pouring in 20 points in the team's first game, a win over F.Y. R of Macedonia (MKD).
Petronyte and her teammates will go up against neighbors Latvia in a friendly game in Riga on Wednesday evening before completing their warm-up program with a game against China at the weekend.
Lithuania preliminary squad for the EuroBasket Women 2015: Kristina Alminaite, Monika Grigalauskyte, Gabriele Gutkauskaite, Vita Kuktiene, Sandra Linkeviciene, Kamile Nacickaite, Santa Okockyte, Gintare Petronyte, Egle Siksniute, Neringa Skadaite, Marina Solopova and Inesa Visgaudaite.
Go to eurobasketwomen2015.com for full coverage of EuroBasket Women 2015.
FIBA
