Lithuania's U16 team edges out Germany in late surge
Lithuania's U16 basketball team beat Germany 82:75 in the European U16 Championship quarterfinal, securing a semifinal spot. Germany started strong and briefly closed a big gap late in the final quarter, but Lithuania held on to win.
At the European U16 Basketball Championship in Oradea, Romania, Lithuania's youth team defeated Germany 82:75 in the quarterfinal, advancing to the tournament's semifinal stage.
Germany's youth squad is currently coached by a trainer with extensive international experience, having previously led senior national teams including Germany, Poland, Iran and Tunisia, as well as clubs such as Bamberg's Brose Baskets and Bayern Munich. In this tournament, the German team opened the group stage with a convincing win over Belgium but then suffered heavy defeats against Slovenia and France. In the round of sixteen, Germany managed a win over Israel to reach the quarterfinals.
Course of the game
In the quarterfinal against Lithuania, Germany started strongly, but Lithuania then took control, scoring 23 points in each of the first two ten-minute periods and heading into the break with a commanding lead. That gap appeared insurmountable for most of the game, but in the second half of the final quarter Germany significantly narrowed the difference. Lithuania nonetheless held on to secure the win.
For Lithuania, two players led the scoring with 17 points each, with one of them also contributing several rebounds and assists.
With the victory, Lithuania advanced to the semifinal, where it is set to face France. Latvia's U16 team also remains in the tournament, having already secured a semifinal berth against Spain.
