Wheelchair Basketball World Championships: GB women lose to Dutch in final

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Amy ConroyImage source, 2018WBWC
Image caption,

Amy Conroy scored eight points for Britain

Great Britain women's wheelchair basketball team fell short in their first World Championship final, losing 56-40 to the Netherlands.

GB, who lost to the Dutch in the pool stages, struggled to get into the game.

They were behind 31-20 at the break, and although they trailed by only four at one point in the third quarter, the Dutch pulled away again.

"I'm so proud of the girls coming away with a silver medal," GB co-captain Sophie Carrigill told BBC Sport

"We fought for that whole game and were so close but the Dutch are a great team and we will get them next time.

"This team is on the rise. We have such a strong squad and we knew we could come away with a medal.

"How we have played here has given us so much confidence. We have proved we can do it and I'm so happy."

The GB team started strongly against the Germans in Friday's semi-final but they found the Dutch, who were also appearing in their maiden final, tougher to break down.

They struggled to get their shots away and the Dutch were able to capitalise and go in comfortably ahead at half-time.

But GB never gave up and top-scorer Robyn Love's shooting helped close the gap to 34-30 with two and a half minutes to go in the third quarter.

That was as close as it got as six fourth-quarter points from Bo Kramer and a big contribution from Mariska Beijer saw them claim victory.

Love finished on 12 points with eight apiece from Helen Freeman and Amy Conroy.

The GB men face the USA in their final on Sunday at 14:30 BST.