The Romanian women’s basketball team beat Germany 54-51 in their European Championship qualfier in Targoviste on Wednesday.

Player Monica Brosovski thanked the Targoviste fans for creating a vibrant atmosphere which inspired her team to a narrow victory in the Group C clash.

“The public was the sixth player,” she said.

The tournament takes place for the next three weeks with Romania drawn in a group also containing Israel and Belgium.

The chairman of Basketball Romanian Federation, Ioan Dobrescu, insisted Romania can qualify for Turkey 2005.

“Belgium are the favourites in the group, but anything is possible,” he said.

“We have a chance, and this system, with six matches in three weeks, can be an advantage for us. The atmosphere in the squad is excellent.”

After four years in the United States with the South Carolina College team and a few weeks in the WNBA with Charlotte, 22-year-old Cristina Ciocan has returned to the national team.