Sport, particularly in the realm of professional competition, is a domain of human endeavor that is increasingly dependent on the use of analytical statistical information. Consequently, mathematics and statistics are becoming increasingly crucial elements in sports. Although experts recognize the importance of analytics in women’s basketball, the literature addressing this subject remains limited. The objective of this study is to employ quantitative methodologies to discover prevailing patterns in global women’s basketball representation. The entities examined in this article were the games contested during the 2021 Olympic Games, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2023 continental championships. Two regression models were created for the research, using thirteen standard variables observed in the game. The evaluation of the regression model was conducted using the stepwise regression method, incorporating dimensionality reduction based on the outcomes of factor analysis. Among the 14 models that were observed, 13 of them exhibited strong and moderate linkages, while only 1 displayed weak connections and lacked statistical significance. The primary factors that account for the disparity between winning and losing teams in games are primarily associated with shooting accuracy toward the basket. When examining individual championships, the percentage surpassed 50% in all cases except for AfroBasket. However, when considering the overall results, the significance of shooting rose to 86%. The variable representing offensive rebound efficiency had a significant influence on the outcome, being present in all individual competitions, whereas defensive rebound efficiency was only considered in the overall results.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to analyse the state and the dynamics of developmental and other aspects of investments in research and development (R&D) in the group of countries in Southeast Europe. The analysis is performed for several countries in Southeast Europe together and by individual countries. The period from 1996 to 2020 is observed in the analysis. In most countries of Southeast Europe, the allocation for R&D is relatively small. Applied research is the most represented. Significant differences can be noticed regarding the sources of financing and to the implementation of allocations for R&D. A particularly important part of this work is devoted to the analysis of the impact of the gross expenditures on R&D on economic growth. This analysis was performed on the basis of regression analysis. Several regression models were formed in which the dependent variable was gross domestic product per capita It can be concluded that the parameters of the financial condition of the observed economy have the greatest influence on the economic growth of the observed group of countries. Allocations for research and development still do not have a significant enough impact on economic growth in observed countries in Southeast Europe.

This study aims to ascertain the significance of the basketball game parameters which discriminated between winning and losing teams in matches played. The study sample comprises matches played at the men’s basketball tournament at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo. Four regression models were formed. Due to the size of the sample, the number of explaining variables was reduced using factor analysis, followed by stepwise regression to ascertain the statistical significance of the obtained models summarily, which were then broken down into individual parameters. This study indicates: (1) one of the four set regression models was summarily highly statistically significant; (2) out of the remaining models, two were eliminated due to the presence of multicollinearity, and one model did not exhibit high statistical significance; (3) the final score was most influenced by the variables of two- and three-point shot percentages, number of three-point shots, turnovers, defensive rebounds, and true shooting percentage. The results of the study corroborated the results of other studies which were carried out in recent years, that the game of basketball is trending towards three-point shots and lay-ups, reduction of turnovers when passing, and defensive rebounds have been confirmed to be greatly significant.

Evaluation in women's basketball is keeping up with developments in evaluation in men’s basketball, and although the number of studies in women's basketball has seen a positive trend in the past decade, it is still at a low level. This paper observed 38 games and sixteen variables of standard efficiency during the FIBA EuroBasket Women 2019. Two regression models were obtained, a set of relative percentage and relative rating variables, which are used in the NBA league, where the dependent variable was the number of points scored. The obtained results show that in the first model, the difference between winning and losing teams was made by three variables: true shooting percentage, turnover percentage of inefficiency and efficiency percentage of defensive rebounds, which explain 97.3%, while for the second model, the distinguishing variables was offensive efficiency, explaining for 96.1% of the observed phenomenon. There is a continuity of the obtained results with the previous championship, played in 2017. Of all the technical elements of basketball, it is still the shots made, assists and defensive rebounds that have the most significant impact on the final score in European women’s basketball. It can be noted that, unlike with the previous championship, inside play is no longer dominant, but there is a balance between inside and outside play, which has already been established as a developing trend in men’s basketball. The emergence of the offensive efficiency variable indicates that it is becoming significant in top-tier competitions as well but is still a challenge for coaches to grasp the causes of this multicomplex issue based on this indicator.

Background: Many papers have been published on the topic of basketball players’ performance. Most of them have come from authors covering the field from USA and Europe, whereas the number of papers from the rest of the world, particularly Asia, has so far been small in numbers. Objectives: Evaluate the significance of the observed parameters in relation to the game outcome (winning/losing) at the last continental championship, 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. Methods: The sample of entity consisted of 40 games played at 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. The sample of variables consisted of 13 variables registered in the manner as set out by FIBA regulations and 15 derived (relative) variables. Accordingly, two basic models of regression were formed, i.e. absolute and relative, and they had the number of total points scored as their dependent variable. The correlation between the two models was performed by means of regression and correlation analysis of the two models - stepwise regression. Results: The obtained regression models and partial correlation indicate that winning and losing performance was heavily influenced in the absolute model, by the following: ΔFGM, ΔMFT, and ΔM3, accounting for 95.9% of difference. The second model extracted: ΔFG%, ΔTO%, ΔDR%, ΔPTS3%, and ΔFT%, accounting for 90.7% of difference between winning and losing teams. Conclusions: Considering the significance of shooting and defensive rebounding, basketball coaches have been strongly advised, in this and many previous works, to pay special attention to these segments of the game.

The research papers investigating the game-related parameters and phenomena of women's basketball matches are relatively smaller in size and number than the similar ones treating the same issues in men’s basketball - there has been some changes in that respect in recent years though. This paper’s sample of entity consisted of 40 games and thirteen variables of standard efficiency recorded at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 . The research had two basic models of regressions formed, i.e. the absolute and the relative one, each of which had total numbers scored as the dependent variable, and was performed by means of regression and correlation analysis - stepwise regression, as a gradual method of fitting regression models in order to define predictive variables. The obtained regression models and partial correlation indicate that the winning or losing performance was heavily influenced by both field goal efficiency and defensive rebounding, all of which has been corroborated in many other similar pieces of research. Also, the variables as turnovers and personal fouls were extracted as significant in terms of differentiation between the winning and losing team. When we take a closer look and see the observed parameters from the point of view of either First or Final rounds of the competition - since these rounds were played in different formats - it is noticeable that it is becoming more and more evident, of course besides the shot efficiency, the efficiency of free throws and the quality of defense.

Abstract The influence of interest rates and inflation on GDP growth has been the subject of long debates and many research studies: from purely theoretical analysis of the channels through which this is accomplished, to empirical studies on a broad panel of countries. Because of these shared arguments about the impact of interest rates and inflation on GDP growth, as an area of investigation in this paper we took FYROM, Bulgaria and Romania. The paper examines existing theory to create an analytical framework for the impact of interest rate and inflation on GDP, and to quantitatively evaluate the importance of these variables for economic growth. A cointegration analysis with three variables (interest rate, inflation and GDP growth) and a Granger causality analysis are implemented to examine the relations between these variables. Unit root tests are applied to examine the relationships among the respective data series. The target period is from 2000 until present time, offering a relatively positive first period until the advent of the debt crisis by the end of the 2000s. The basic aim is to investigate the links between monetary and fiscal measures, especially for developing countries that are striving for economic growth without a strong home currency.