The Bulgarian women's national team started the qualifiers for EuroBasket 2027 in Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Lithuania with an impressive result, setting a record. Under the guidance of coach Tanya Gateva, the team demonstrated an exceptional performance in the first round of Group E, prevailing over Azerbaijan with an astonishing 141:48. The match was held in the Sports Palace in Baku, where small indications of an equal game were initially observed, but the Bulgarians quickly dispelled all doubts, dominating categorically throughout the rest of the match. This was not only the most convincing victory in the history of the team, but also the first time the team managed to score 141 points. The atmosphere in the stadium suggested increasing tension, while the Bulgarians demonstrated their superiority on the court.
"The Lionesses" did not allow the opponent to score more than 15 points in any of the four parts, which clearly emphasized their domination in the match. The team's previous most successful achievement dated back to November 15th, when they prevailed over Norway with 97:66 in a European qualifier.
Ivana Boneva made her debut with the national team in the match.
The next match for the Bulgarians will be on November 15th (Saturday). The team will visit Ukraine in Riga, while at the same time the basketball players of Evren Alkay will face Montenegro.
The game of the Bulgarians was characterized by solid defense and impressive individual performances. The combinations between Iliyana Georgieva, Valeria Aleksieva and Hillsman confirmed the superiority of the team during the second period. The decisions of the hosts were few, and "the Lionesses" continued their penal action, reaching half-time with a score of 56:27.
The accurate shots of Borislava Hristova, Ivanova, Georgieva and Hillsman contributed to the crushing superiority of the Bulgarians. The Azerbaijanis were far from the class of their rivals, and after 30 minutes of play, the advantage of the Bulgarians increased to an impressive 65 points. The only intrigue in the final ten was determining the final result.
Iliyana Georgieva set the tone for the crushing victory, scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Valeria Aleksiva finished with 19 points and 8 assists, while Gergana Ivanova and Kayla Hillsman (7 rebounds under both rings) scored 16 each. Borislava Hristova (7 rebounds under both baskets) and Radostina Hristova scored 14 points each, while Yuliyana Valcheva (9 rebounds) and Preslava Koleva scored 10 each.
Alexandra Molenhauer scored 15 points for Azerbaijan, trying to soften the team's humiliation.