"Through the Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel blared out from the speakers, and the German women's basketball players bounced across the Berlin court to their team song, soaking up the fans' acclaim. In the showdown with Mali, Olaf Lange's side held their nerve and gave themselves the best possible platform for the final round.
The hosts wrapped up their final group match with an emphatic 83-58 (49-32) win, securing second place in Group A behind favourites Spain. That means a qualification-round meeting with South Korea on Tuesday (8.45pm/MagentaTV) for a place in the quarter-finals.
"I'm very happy with how we have developed. Now the success is there too," Lange said in the sold-out Uber Arena on MagentaTV before immediately turning his focus to the next test. "Now we have to reorganise again. South Korea are a good team."
Before the group decider, all four teams sat level on three points after two matches, each with one win and one defeat. Germany could still have climbed to first place, but they could just as easily have finished fourth. Once Spain beat Japan in the evening's parallel match (79-59), top spot was out of reach, but Germany still hit their interim target.
Getty ImagesCelebrity fan Dennis Schröder likes what he sees from the DBB team
After the heavy opening defeat against Spain (53-83) and the response against Japan (74-58), Germany needed a second tournament win to finish as high as possible. "We have to be the aggressor from the start," said Frieda Bühner, the top scorer against Japan.
Backed by world champion captain Dennis Schröder at courtside, they started well. The defence kept Mali under control, Leonie Fiebich nailed an early three-pointer and Germany moved 15-7 clear in the sixth minute. Then came a scruffy spell full of mistakes. Alexis Peterson, back after missing the second half against Japan because of an infection, coughed up possession twice in quick succession.
Luisa Geiselsöder, who had struggled to get going in the tournament up to that point, produced her best display yet and did not miss a shot in the first half. Bühner also sparkled, and her second straight three-pointer gave Germany their first double-digit lead at 40-29 in the 16th minute. By then almost everything was dropping. Alexandra Wilke and Marie Gülich scored from outside too, before top scorer Bühner struck again to finish with 21 points.
Luisa Geiselsöder lands the decisive blow
"You want to get better in every game, and that's what they are doing," Schröder said at half-time, praising the "brilliant atmosphere" created by the 12,550 crowd. In their second meeting with Mali after an international in Saarlouis in 2007, Germany did not wobble after the break either.
Mali, who had sensationally beaten Spain on the second matchday (82-73), had no answer to the energy of Lange's team. Geiselsöder delivered the early decisive blow with another three-pointer for 56-37 in the 25th minute. "It felt great. It was really good basketball," said the WNBA player.
Beat South Korea, who finished third in Group B, in the play-off round and the DBB team will face Belgium in the quarter-finals. The European champions of 2023 and 2025 won Group C without defeat.