EuroBasket Women: Great Britain women beat Montenegro to reach quarter-finals

There are six places in Olympic qualifying available for the eight teams competing in Belgrade

Great Britain's women became the first home nation to reach a EuroBasket quarter-final when they beat Montenegro 92-71 to win their play-off in Riga.

Temi Fagbenle hit 29 points to lead GB's scoring, with Karlie Samuelson adding 28 and Rachael Vanderwal 15.

GB trailed only briefly in the game, but were unable to gain a comfortable lead against dogged opponents.

Chem Buceta's team will next face Hungary in their quarter-final in Belgrade at 11:30 BST on Thursday.

A win in either of their next two games in Serbia would mean GB would advance to an Olympic qualifier next year, meaning that Johannah Leedham and four other 2012 Olympians on the squad, could play at two Games in eight years.

"The fact that we've actually got the opportunity to get into another Olympics - keeping our dreams alive - it's just unbelievable," said Leedham.

"It's such an amazing team, whatever it takes - everyone wants to win so badly. It's so different to play with a team where there's so much heart - you just don't find that anywhere else."

Head coach Jose Maria Buceta said: "We have been building this team for this. I always trusted this team - the strategy was always to empower these players to show the talent that they have - they not only followed that but they put their own input into the growth of this team."

GB scored the first seven points of the game before Fagbenle took charge, scoring nine of the team's next 11 points as Samuelson also got into the act early.

The 22-14 lead was lost almost immediately in the second quarter, with Montenegro's 8-0 start giving them their first advantage.

Vanderwal and Samuelson hit threes to restore GB's advantage, with Fagbenle now turning provider, but GB's lead was just 44-41 at the interval with Montenegro once again proving proving stubborn opponents.

GB's defence at the start of the second half was the key to their 11-2 start, giving them a 55-42 lead, only to be pulled back to single figures (69-60) with 10 minutes to go.

Fagbenle was called for a fourth foul at the start of the fourth quarter but GB were already making their big break for the finish line, hitting a 16-6 run with a three-point play from Vanderwal and a three-pointer from Samuelson.

A further 8-0 run confirmed that GB were heading to Belgrade, breaking new ground for the national basketball programme.