European Championships U18 day 2 recap
Day 2 of the European Championships U18 got underway on Sunday with a full schedule of eight contests between the leading under 18 nations in Europe. After the second day, four countries remain undefeated and four a without a win as Group A through D continue to jostle to decide how the teams will line up in the next round.
Group A
Montenegro dished out an 81-73 victory over Germany to register its first win (1-1) and leave the Germans without a win (0-2). The eventual winners took a 39-33 advantage into the long break and kept Germany at bay through the second half. It was never quite a walkover, but Montenegro looked comfortable.
In the other Group A contest, Turkey maintained its unblemished record (2-0) with a cruising 90-77 victory over Russia (1-1). The game was wide open through halftime, with Turkey holding a slender 44-42 advantage. Russia slowly fell away in the second half and only scored 11 points in the fourth act.
Group B
Spain also remained unbeaten (2-0) thanks to an 84-72 victory over Ukraine. The loss left Ukraine hunting its first victory from 0-2. While the scorecard says Spain won by over 10 points, it was not a cruise. Indeed, the game was locked through regulations, the Spanish fighting back to force overtime. With the momentum, the Spain team swamped Ukraine in overtime to take the win.
Serbia started its winning momentum at the European Championships U18 this season with a 46-63 win over Italy. After this low scoring encounter, both teams are sat on 1-1 records behind Spain. Italy scored 35 of its points in the first half and led by 9 through halftime. Serbia responded by limiting the Azzurri to just 11 points in the second half, turning the game to claim the win.
Group C
Lithuania schooled Slovenia and came away with a 75-57 victory to open its account (1-1) this tournament. Slovenia looked outclassed throughout and the team is now without a win through two games (0-2). Lithuania trailed 38-30 at halftime, but hit back in the second half with a 45-19 charge to seal the win.
Another unbeaten team is Greece, after the team downed Finland by a narrow 81-79 margin in a contest to decide which country moves to 2-0. On its loss, Finland now sits at 1-1. Greece dominated the first half 48-30, but Finland changed its fortune to make it interesting in the second half. However, the Greek team held firm for the win, on the back of a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds from Georgios Kalaitzakis.
Group D
European Championships U18 hosts Slovakia lost a second consecutive game (0-2) after slipping 73-68 to Bosnia (2-0). Through a close first half, the visitors managed a 36-31 advantage and kept Slovakia at that distance through the second half.
Reigning champs France got off the mark in fine fashion, securing its first win (1-1) with a 49-93 demolition of Latvia (1-1). The victory was never in doubt as Les Bleus put together a 45-22 first half and just eased from there.