FIBA Men U18: R2 complete, quarterfinals set
France’s Lenny Charles-Catherine goes all out for a loose ball against Russia.
The quarterfinals are finally set in the FIBA Men U18 European Championships with the bulk of the spots being determined after the final game of the second round.
Coming out of Group E will be Russia, France, Lithuania, and Serbia. Qualifying from Group F are Turkey, Latvia, Spain, and Croatia.
Quarterfinal match-ups:
Russia – Croatia
France – Spain
Lithuania – Latvia
Serbia – Turkey
Group E
Russia – France, 70-60
With a 12-point advantage in the fourth quarter, France grabbed the top spot in Group E with a 70:60 win over Russia.
France took a 33:28 lead into the halftime break after a 17:9 second quarter that featured 9:0 run. The Russians grabbed three back in the third, but were still down two 46:44 as the final frame started.
The French opened the fourth with the first three points to get up by five. The clubs exchanged baskets until there was just over four minutes left in the game and France up 57:53. From there the Russians ran off 15 unanswered to get up 68:57 with 14 seconds on the clock. France finally hit the cords again with seven seconds to play to end a four minute and eight second scoring drought.
Viacheslav Fedorchenko was game-high for Russia with 16, while Etienne Ory was high-man for France with eight points and three assists.
Lithuania – Bosnia and Herzegovina, 78:60
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Imran Polutak looks for his opening in the paint against Lithuania.
The Lithuanians outscored BIH all four quarters, getting ahead 43:31 at the break. In the third Bosnia and Herzegovina mounted a number of challenges, but each was countered by Lithuania, who extended their lead by six in the second half.
Domantas Sabonis hit a 14R/10R double-double for Lithuania. Imran Polutak was game-high for BIH with 17 and Sandro Gacic dropped in 14.
Serbia – Czech Republic, 99:70
Serbia grabbed the final spot in the quarters from Group E with a big, 99:70 win over the Czech Republic, who were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.
The Serbs all but put the game away in the first half, getting out 48:33 at the break. The Czechs kept it close in the third only allowing the lead to bump four during a 25:21 Serbian advantage in the frame. The final quarter turned out to be the biggest margin of the contest with Serbia outscoring the Czechs 26:16, to take a big win and the confidence attached to it into the quarterfinals.
Brano Djukanovic was game-high with 20 points for Serbia, and Ognjen Jaramaz added a 19P/10R double-double. Prokop Slanina was high-man for the Czech Republic with 14 points, while Martin Peterka added 13.
Group F
Spain – Turkey, 76:68
Spain knocked Turkey off the ranks of the unbeaten with a 76:68 victory that included an 11:0 run in the fourth.
The contest was close for the better part of the first three frames, with Spain getting up 18:14 after the first, then Turkey taking the lead in the second with a 22:15 quarter that sent the clubs to the dressing rooms with Turkey up 36:33.
Spain got those three back in the third to knot the score at 44 heading into the final frame.
Starting at the nine minute mark and ending with four minutes to play the Spaniards held Turkey scoreless, while dropping 11, gave Spain a 10-point lead, 67:57. The clubs exchanged baskets for the last four minutes, giving Spain the win and number three spot in Group F, while Turkey remained at the top of the heap heading into the quarters.
Agusti Sans was game-high with 18 points for Spain, and David Iriarte added 17. Kerem Kanter was team-high with 11 points for Turkey.
Latvia – England, 68:56
Latvia handed England their second loss in Group F and eliminated them with a 68:65 victory that earned the hosts the second spot in the group heading into the playoffs.
The clubs kept the score close in the first frame with the hosts getting up 17:13 after the first 10. The second quarter was the difference with Latvia outscoring England 20:8 off two 7:0 runs, to hold a 37:21 margin at the break.
The hosts got up by as much as 22 in the third frame, but had their lead cut down in the fourth behind a 10:0 run by England early in the frame that brought them within six with just over six minutes left to play. To close out the game Latvia went on a 10:4 run to put the game away and earn their spot in the quarters.
Kristaps Porzingis was high-man for Latvia with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Roland Smits added 13. Luke Nelson was game-high with 19 points for England, 14 of which he scored during England’s run at the end of the contest.
Croatia – Italy, 92:78
Croatia grabbed the final spot in the quarterfinals in Group F, while sending Italy to the consolation round with a 92:78 win.
The Croatians won the first three quarters, including building a 40:30 lead at the halftime intermission on a 9:2 run at the end of the second.
They extended the lead to 16 in the third frame in huge scoring quarter for both teams that saw them tally 56 points between them. Italy cut the lead back three in the fourth, but never challenged the contest giving Croatia the fourth spot in the playoffs from Group F.
Domagoj Bosnjak was game-high with 26 points for Croatia, while Tomislav Gabric added 17. Marco Spissu and Tommaso Laquintana each scored 14 for Italy.
FIBA Men U18 European Championships
Group E Matches[matches league_id=33 group=E template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]
Standings – Group E[standings league_id=33 group=E show_website=false template=nolink]
Group F Matches[matches league_id=33 group=F template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]
Standings – Group F[standings league_id=33 group=F show_website=false template=nolink]