BANGKOK (FIBA U19 World Championship for Women) - Former champions Czech Republic started off their eight-final round campaign with a clinical 72-60 victory over Argentina on Monday.

The Czech Republic thus improved their win-loss record to 3-1 in Group E, while Argentina slumped to 2-2.

Argentina, who defeated the more fancied France in their final Group A preliminary round encounter, did rather well to keep the Czechs on the tenterhooks for the entire first quarter. Fortunes swung like the proverbial pendulum with neither able to take any telling control.

The Czechs managed a 16-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.

This is when the 2001 FIBA U19 Championship for Women winners made their move.

Michaela Stara scored seven points and playmaker Katerina Bortonova added as many as Alena Hanusova kept rolling and the Czechs had seized control in a blink, and led 40-29 going into the change rooms

Argentina fought hard thenceforth, but had to play catching up right through.

Hanusova led the scoring for the game with 20 points. Bartonova had 18 and Stara 10.

Andrea Boquete kept the Argentina scoring ticking with 12 points.

FIBA