Bulgaria's women's national team lost to Spain 64:85 in its second Group J match in the second phase of the EuroBasket 2027 qualifiers. The game was played at the “Arena SamElyon” in Samokov.
The Bulgarians started confidently against the Spanish side and won the first quarter 21:20. The hosts continued to keep the score close, and at halftime Spain led by just one point – 38:37.
The visitors raised the tempo in the third quarter and gradually increased their lead. Spain won the period 25:16 and led 63:53 with the final 10 minutes approaching.
In the final quarter, the Spaniards maintained control of the game and added another 22 points against 11 for Bulgaria to claim an 85:64 victory.
Borislava Hristova was Bulgaria's leading scorer with 15 points and 4 rebounds. Kayla Hillsman finished with a double-double – 13 points and 11 rebounds. For Spain, Iyana Martin scored 26 points and made 5 assists. The game statistics have been published in FIBA's official data.
Bulgaria now has one win and one loss in Group J following the 91:74 victory over Croatia on November 11. The national team's next game is against the Czech Republic on November 17.
The qualifying group also includes Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia, with the top two teams advancing to the EuroBasket 2027 finals. The format provides for each team to play six games – home and away.
Before the start of the November games, head coach Tanya Gateva told bTV: “We have been working for this moment for years. I believe in the team.”