EUROBASKET QUALIFIERS

Poland showed no mercy in a 105-67 defeat of Albania as they got their EuroBasket 2013 Qualification Round campaign back on track in Group E.

Needing a victory after losing two of their opening three qualifiers, the visitors built a big early lead in Tirana and just kept going, enjoying a late 12-3 run that put the icing on the cake in the fourth quarter.

Mateusz Ponitka scored 17 points to lead them to victory while Michal Ignerski and Przemyslaw Zamojski added 14 each, Marcin Gortat had 11 with eight rebounds and Lukasz Koszarek scored 10.

They began to take control when back-to-back three pointers from Zamojski and Piotr Pamula made it 28-19 to end the first quarter but it was in the second that they took full control with a 15-2 burst making it 51-31 on Przemyslaw Karnowski's jump-shot with 72 seconds left in the first half.

Two late free throws from Robert Skibniewski saw Poland take a 23-point lead into the locker room.

Albania managed to live with Poland through the third period but they encountered one final onslaught as the visitors ran up the score.

Koszarek's three-pointer made it 84-54 midway through the final period and soon after Lukasz Wisniewski's dunk began one final burst that made it 100-61 on Damian Kulig's three-pointer with 1:55 left.

Klaudio Ndoja led Albania with 16 points while Ersid Luca and Gerti Shima had 14 each and Endrit Hysenagolli collected 13 with seven rebounds.

The win leaves Poland at 2-2 in the group, while Albania drop to 0-3.