Poland and Turkey Stay Perfect; Hungary Downs Belgium Again
Poland and Turkey both improved to 6-0 in FIBA World Cup qualifying, while Hungary defeated Belgium for the second time.
Poland overcame a tough challenge from the Netherlands in Krakow, pulling away in the fourth quarter to win 92-84. Earlier, Poland had erased a 21-point deficit to win 85-83 in The Hague. Kamil Łączyński hit 6 of 7 three-pointers, while Dominik Olejniczak added 12 points and nine rebounds. Poland played without American guard Jordan Loyd this summer. For the Netherlands, Kay van der Vuurst had 26 points, nine assists, and seven turnovers; Lucas Kruithof scored 21 points. In the next phase, Poland, Latvia, and the Netherlands will face Croatia, Germany, and Israel.
Turkey dominated Switzerland 95-72 in Istanbul after a close first half (47-41). They outscored the Swiss 29-11 in the third quarter. Eemir Yurtseven scored 18 points, Alperen a point, six rebounds, and five assists. Adem Bona (eight rebounds) and Cedi Osman each added 15 points. For Switzerland, Alexander Schumacher was the top scorer for the second straight game. Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will next face Italy, Lithuania, and Iceland.
Hungary beat Belgium 85-70 for their second qualifying win over the Belgians, handing Belgium their sixth loss in as many games. Both Poland and Turkey remain undefeated at 6-0.
