Conroy leads GB to victory in European Championships opener

Amy Conroy’s 23 points set the tone for a ruthless performance as GB made the perfect start to their women’s Wheelchair Basketball European Championships campaign, with a 66-18 win over France.

A repeat of the last five bronze medal matches in the competition – all of which were won by GB – Miles Thompson’s side made no mistake in their curtain-raiser, making a statement with a dominant performance in Rotterdam.

Topping France in all statistical categories, they shot 46% of field goals with 45 rebounds and 25 assists on the way to victory.

France sunk the first shots of the match, taking an early 4-0 lead as GB drew blanks, but they soon broke their cold streak, racing into a 14-6 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

And they picked up where they left off in the second, shooting ¹⁴⁄₃₃ from the floor as Amy Conroy led the way with 14 points to put GB 28-14 up at the half.

A commanding third saw them extend their advantage to 23 points, Helen Freeman wrapping up her 10th rebound of the contest on the way to a 49-16 advantage, nearly sealing a double double after ending with seven assists.

And GB’s defensive qualities shone in the fourth as they limited their opponents to just two points in the final 10 minutes, and just four in total for the second half.

They will continue their campaign against Spain on Monday, before facing hosts and reigning champions the Netherlands on Tuesday.