TBILISI (Georgia) - Serbia hoisted the FIBA U16 EuroBasket crown after beating Lithuania in a battle for the ages in Tbilisi.
In the Third Place Game, Slovenia used a late run to topple Italy in a thrilling encounter. Elsewhere, Estonia were relegated to Division B after losing to Israel.
Serbia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Italy, and France all qualify for next year's FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup as the top five placed teams.
Key Storylines
Serbia bask in U16 EuroBasket glory by beating Lithuania;
Slovenia finishes third with a late run to sink Italy;
France secures FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 spot;
Estonia relegated to Division B alongside Switzerland and Finland.
Final
Serbia came from behind to beat Lithuania 99-86 in a thrilling Final to win the FIBA U16 EuroBasket title.
After trailing by as many as 12 points, the Serbs dug deep in the second half to narrow the deficit and, with 2:20 remaining in the third, took their first lead since the midway point of the first quarter, instantly continuing their superb offensive rhythm.
A 32-15 third quarter in favor of Serbia turned the game on its head, and despite a brief fightback from the Lithuanians in the early stages of the final period, the Serbs were destined to win this, and they fought back to pull clear for good.
Petar Bjelica led the champions with 25 points and 9 rebounds, with Ognjen Simjanovski - Serbia's unsung hero in the knockout rounds - added 22. Nikola Kusturica grabbed a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Gabrielius Buivydas led Lithuania with 26 points - 12 of which came from the free throw line as his side came up short.
Third Place Game
Slovenia secured the final spot on the podium with a 79-71 win over Italy in the Third Place Game, where both teams left their heart, soul, and passion on the floor. But, in a game where fine margins would guarantee a victor, an 8-2 run in the latter stages of the fourth quarter gave the Slovenians the win over their neighbors.
Leading for the majority, Slovenia saw its lead grow to as many as 11 points, but they couldn't properly get away from Italy, who battled hard and reduced the gap to 68-65 with 2:10 to play, thanks to a score from Alessandro Alba. However, Slovenia countered with a game-changing run to win it.
Lun Jarc led the victors with 27 points, going 9-for-11 from the field, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Simone Ventura led Italy with 15.
Top Performers
Eilon Sokolovski went on a scoring outburst just when Israel needed it most, ensuring his nation would play Division A basketball next year with a 91-70 win over Estonia. Sokolovski put in his performance of the tournament with 32 points, with six three-pointers in the haul. He also pulled down 9 rebounds and 2 steals for an efficiency rating of 36.
Messi Yangala grabbed his first double-double of the U16 EuroBasket, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, shooting a solid 11-for-16 from the field, as France claimed a convincing 90-66 win over Latvia to secure fifth place and a place at next year's U17 World Cup.
Nikola Kusturica led Serbia to glorious gold in Tbilisi as his 18 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists lifted them to a 99-86 success over Lithuania in an epic Final. The MVP finished with an impressive efficiency valuation of 33.
Türkiye secured seventh spot thanks to an 89-74 victory over Spain. Omer Kutsulay dropped his second 30-point game in the tournament, going 50 percent from the field for his 31 points alongside 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a virtuoso performance that earned him an overall rating of 31.
Lun Jarc led Slovenia to a deserved podium finish with a 79-71 win over Italy in the Third Place Game. The talented forward ended his campaign on a high note with 27 points, going 9-for-11 from the field, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Results of the Day
Final
Serbia 99-86 Lithuania
Third Place Game
Slovenia 79-71 Italy
Classification 5-6
Latvia 66-90 France
Classification 7-8
Türkiye 89-74 Spain
Classification 9-10
Greece 62-74 Germany
Classification 11-12
Georgia 88-84 Romania
Classification 13-14
Israel 91-70 Estonia
Classification 15-16
Finland 63-53 Switzerland
FIBA