Iyana Martín scored 26 points on Saturday to lead the Spanish women’s basketball national team to an 85-64 victory over Bulgaria at the Arena SamElyon in Samokov, securing sole leadership of Group J in the EuroBasket 2027 qualifiers, according to reports from infobae and EL PAÍS.
In the current FIBA ranking, the Bulgarian team is twenty-six places behind Spain and has not participated in the last six EuroBasket tournaments.
The win follows a 73-71 opening victory against the Czech Republic in Oviedo, where Martín scored 18 points total and 11 in the final quarter to lead all scorers. Saturday’s result leaves head coach Miguel Méndez’s squad with a 2-0 record in the qualifying group, while Bulgaria dropped to a 1-1 record after previously defeating Croatia 91-74 at home.
Bulgaria pressed early with strong interior play from Khaalia Hillsman and perimeter shooting from Borislava Hristova. The two previous historical matchups between Spain and Bulgaria took place during the 2017 and 2018 EuroBasket qualifying phases, resulting in victories for Spain with scores of 42-92 in Sofia and 97-57 in Guadalajara.
After the break, Spain capitalized on Bulgarian turnovers and defensive struggles against high screens. A brief third-quarter tie at 45-45 following two free throws by Karina Konstantinova was quickly erased by a decisive 11-22 fourth-quarter run from the visitors.
Martín led all scorers with 26 points, while Carrera added 17 points through dominant inside play. Torrens contributed 10 points, anchoring the team’s veteran presence alongside Ortiz. The Spanish roster also featured starting contributions from Maite Cazorla with 5 points, Helena Pueyo with 4 points, and María Araújo with 7 points, alongside bench minutes from Leticia Romero Ayuso with 3 points, Paula Ginzo with 4 points, and Paula Vilaró, Irati Etxarri, and Awa Pendande.
Bulgaria’s starting lineup included Dimitrova with 11 points, Konstantinova with 7 points, and Ivanova with 10 points, supported by substitutes Nikolova with 5 points and Boneva with 3 points, while Stoyanovska, Georgieva, and Manolova did not score.
“El partido se tiene que acercar a nuestro juego de equipo,” said Miguel Méndez, national head coach, according to the Spanish Basketball Federation, noting that Bulgaria’s aggressive defense and high possession rate in their opening win against Croatia had surprised the technical staff.
Bulgaria received 15 points from Hristova and 13 points from Hillsman, but struggled to match Spain’s transition game and depth as the match progressed.
Spain travels next to face Croatia on Tuesday, November 17, concluding this international window of the EuroBasket 2027 qualifiers. Bulgaria drops to a 1-1 record in Group J.
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