PITESTI (Romania) - Spain won the FIBA U16 Women's EuroBasket title for a staggering 11th time as they beat Slovenia in the Final.
Germany recovered from a torrid first half to beat Latvia to claim the bronze medal, and Serbia claimed the final ticket for next year's FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup with a narrow win over Italy.
Elsewhere, Great Britain was the third team to be relegated, as they lost to Czechia in the Classification 13-14 game. GB joins Belgium and last year's champions, Finland, in Division B next year.
Key Storylines
Spain clinch gold with win over Slovenia;
Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Latvia and Serbia qualify for FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2026;
Great Britain relegated to Division B along with Belgium and Finland.
Final
Spain were made to work for their latest continental title at this age group, but had enough to overcome a stubborn Slovenia side in the Final as Isabel Hernandez starred in their 62-47 win.
Hernandez had 19 points and 4 assists for Spain in a stunning display. She was supported by Claudia Lostal, who scored 10 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. However, despite leading from start to finish, Slovenia did not make it easy.
To start, though, it was a case of déjà vu from their earlier Group Phase game, as Spain quickly raced out to a sizable lead after the first quarter. Their well-drilled, skilled offensive game caused Slovenia problems. However, as the second quarter progressed, the Slovenians fought back and regained hope, trailing 30-22 at halftime.
And Slovenia reduced the deficit to three points in several stages of the third quarter and four points late on. But the Spanish resistance was strong. They would not relinquish what they had.
Forward Veronika Ferjancic led Slovenia with 12 points.
Third Place Game
Germany claimed their first medal in nine years by coming from behind to edge Latvia 71-66 in a pulsating Third Place game.
Latvia dominated the first two quarters of play, taking a comfortable 42-30 lead at the half. But whatever happened in the German locker room during the interval seemed to work, as they stormed out the blocks, turning a 14-point deficit late in the second into a 49-48 lead with 5:06 left in the third thanks to a pull-up jumper from Lara Gierlich.
From there, both sides traded baskets and jostled for position, eager to land a spot on the podium. In the end, Germany had the edge as they made their shots when it mattered, especially from the free-throw line, where they went an astonishing 17-for-19. Mia Wiegand paced the victors with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Sindija Sondore countered with 15 points and 13 boards.
Top Performers
Michal Abudram put on a show in Israel's 86-61 win over Croatia in the Classification 11-12 game. Abudram went 7-for-10 from the floor for 15 points, she also pulled down an eye-popping 20 rebounds and 3 blocks for a monster efficiency rating of 35.
France ended their tournament on a high, beating Poland 64-52 to seal seventh spot, and for the second game in a row, Lindiwe David Essaga was their standout. The talented prodigy led all scorers with 19 points on 58 percent shooting, added 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals to her tally for a rating of 26.
Germany had to fight, and eventually reaped the rewards of their determination by edging Latvia 71-66 to land the bronze medal. Mia Wiegand - as she has throughout the knockout phase - stood out with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a stunning showcase, worthy of winning any medal.
Italy battled, but their efforts fell just short as they missed out on the final ticket to next year's FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup as Serbia ousted them 70-66 in the Classification 5-6 game. Isabel Hassan was one rebound shy of a double-double, as she posted 22 points and 9 rebounds along with 4 steals in the loss.
Anastasija Jovanov and Serbia, though, can celebrate their U17 Basketball World Cup ticket, and the young point guard scored a team-high 15 points, had 9 rebounds, and had 2 steals in the win over the Italians.
Results of the Day
Final
Spain 62-47 Slovenia
Third Place Game
Latvia 66-71 Germany
Classification 5-6
Italy 66-70 Serbia
Classification 7-8
France 64-52 Poland
Classification 9-10
Hungary 59-70 Romania
Classification 11-12
Croatia 61-86 Israel
Classification 13-14
Czechia 69-60 Great Britain
Classification 15-16
Belgium 64-60 Finland
FIBA