Germany W vs Turkey W

Germany opened purposefully, using home-court energy to build an early advantage. According to quarter-by-quarter data from TheSportsDB, Germany won the first quarter 19-17 and the second 21-13, taking a 40-30 lead into halftime.

Turkey showed greater intensity after the interval. The visitors tightened defensively, disrupting Germany's rhythm. Turkey dominated the third quarter 19-7, erasing Germany's double-digit lead and flipping the game on its head. The score read 47-49 Turkey's way entering the final period.

The fourth quarter was a tight defensive battle. Germany outscored Turkey 15-14 in the final period — but Turkey's eight-point third-quarter advantage proved decisive. With the game in the balance in the closing possessions, Turkey held on for a 63-62 victory as Germany could not find the go-ahead score.

Turkey's third-quarter surge (19-7) flipped the match entirely. After conceding a 10-point halftime deficit, the visitors outscored Germany by 12 in the third period, swinging momentum decisively. Germany had won the opening two quarters comfortably (19-17, 21-13), but could not recover once Turkey seized control of the pace and the boards. The final quarter became a back-and-forth battle of single-possession margins, and Turkey held their nerve when it counted.

Player-level statistics were not available from the provider at the time of writing, but several observations emerge from the flow of the game:

Marie Gülich (Germany) — The captain's return from injury was a key storyline entering the game, as reported by the ‘Frankfurter Rundschau’. As Germany's primary interior presence, Gülich was central to their first-half dominance.

Turkey's collective resilience — No single Turkish player dominated the available scoring data, but the team's second-half response was its strongest asset. Turkey held Germany to just 7 points in the third quarter, a defensive performance that laid the foundation for the comeback.

The final 62-63 scoreline tells the story of a game split sharply across halves. The first half belonged to Germany (40-30); the second half (22-33) belonged to Turkey. The one-point margin reflects how cleanly the momentum swung.

From their three recorded head-to-head meetings since 2023, this is Turkey's first win against Germany, snapping a two-game losing streak. Germany had won the previous two matchups, including the 20-point win at EuroBasket 2025.

Germany entered this game with two losses in preparation (60-65 vs Spain, 62-68 vs Hungary, per the ‘Frankfurter Rundschau’), while Turkey used this fixture as their own final tune-up before the World Cup.

For Germany (FIBA world No. 11), this is a third consecutive friendly loss ahead of a home World Cup. Coach Olaf Lange now has just over a week to sharpen his side before Germany open their Group D campaign in Berlin on 4 September 2026. Germany are in Group D alongside China, Italy, and others.

For Turkey, this result provides a significant confidence boost. They arrived in Cologne as fellow World Cup-bound opponents and leave with a hard-fought road win that demonstrates their ability to close tight games.

Germany W's next fixture: FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026, Group Stage — 4 September 2026 in Berlin.

Turkey W's next fixture: FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026, Group Stage — 4 September 2026.

A proper World Cup warm-up — tight, competitive, and decided by a single possession in the final minute. Turkey will take more from it: they showed they can absorb a first-half punch and respond with composure. Germany will have defensive concerns after letting a double-digit lead slip, but the return of captain Marie Gülich and the intensity of a home crowd are positives. A one-point friendly loss against a fellow World Cup side is no reason for alarm.