Turkey holds off Czechs 61-57 in Olympic play

LONDON - The Associated Press

urkish players celebrate at the end of the Women's preliminary round group A basketball match of the London 2012 Olympic Games Czech Republic vs Turkey on July 30, 2012 at the basketball arena in London. AFP Photo

Emine Tugba Palazoglu and Bahar Caglar each scored 11 points to help Turkey beat the Czech Republic 61-57 today.
 
Nevriye Yilmaz also added 11 for the Turks (2-0), who have made the most of their first trip to the Olympics in women’s basketball.
 
After routing Angola in its first game, Turkey was tested by the Czech Republic (0-2). Turkey had a 13-point lead early in the third quarter which the Czechs whittled down to 49-45.
 
But Caglar’s jumper and consecutive 3-pointers by Saziye Ivegin restored a double-digit advantage with just over 4 minutes left.
 
Jana Vesela scored 19 to lead the Czech Republic, which won the silver medal at the 2010 world championship.