U18 EuroBasket: France Survives Slovakia Scare, Quarterfinalists Set
At the U18 European Championship in Italy, eight teams advanced to the quarterfinals, while Slovakia and Estonia will battle for ninth place.
The tournament in Italy's Trentino region saw France, Israel, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Turkey reach the quarterfinals. Slovakia nearly caused a major upset, leading France 60:59 with four minutes remaining, but France responded with a 13-0 run to win 72:60. Hugo Jimga led France with 21 points and six rebounds, while Lukas Kubala scored 18 points and grabbed eight boards for Slovakia. Germany defeated Estonia 85:71, with Anton Kemmer scoring 16 points and Kristian Kaskas 19 for Estonia. Slovakia and Estonia will play for ninth place on Thursday at 19:00. Hosts Italy beat Lithuania 83:71 behind 19 points from Papa Cheikh Niang; Ignas Stroomberg had 21 points and eight rebounds for Lithuania, which will next face Austria. Serbia lost a close game to Greece 77:78, with Hrisostomos Hatzilamprou posting 21 points and eight rebounds. Serbia will now face Bulgaria in the placement games. Quarterfinals on July 30: Israel vs Slovenia, Greece vs Spain, Italy vs Turkey, France vs Germany.
