It’s make-or-break time for both Croatia and Belarus in Group D at Ortona.

Both sides had bright moments in their openers, but both came up short against classier opponents.

Croatia lost to Serbia while Belarus slipped up against Spain.

		Croatia will need a big game from Sonja Kireta against Belarus.

Because Croatia take on Spain in their third game, and Belarus face Serbia,  this game on  Tuesday likely decides which team advances to the next stage of the competition.

Last Result: Croatia lost 88-70 to Serbia, Belarus fell 76-62 to Spain.

Key Match-up: Sonja Kireta of Croatia v Katsiaryna Snytsina of Belarus. The 1.98m Kireta was a handful for Serbia in their opening day encounter, scoring 14 points on six of nine (67%) shooting from the floor. Snytsina, a 1.88m power forward, had 18 points and four rebounds for Belarus against Spain.

Key Stat: Svetlana Volnaya was just two of nine from the floor, including zero for six from three-point range, against Spain. The EuroLeague Women All-Star who played at USK Prague last season must provide points for Belarus to have a chance.

X-Factor: Tatyana Troina came off the bench for Belarus against Spain and was three of five (60%) from three-point range.

Speaking Out: “We must forget about our defeat to Spain and come out fully focused against Croatia. As always, with the former Yugoslavia teams, they are well known for their hard, aggressive offense, as well as defense. We are going to try and play our game and try to limit (Croatia) as much as possible.” - Tatyana Troina, Belarus