STOCKHOLM (Sweden) - Spain retained their title as they overcame France in Sunday's FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket Final.
Elsewhere, Finland secured third spot by beating Serbia and Belgium took the last remaining FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup place.
Key Storylines
Spain retain U18 Women's crown with triumph over France;
Finland return to the podium in third place with win over Serbia;
Belgium beat Poland to finish fifth and secure final U19 Women's World Cup spot;
Hosts Sweden join Montenegro and Hungary in Division B next summer.
Spain win lucky seventh title; beat France
Spain danced their way to a seventh U18 Women's EuroBasket title as they steamrolled past France 82-46 in the Final.
A 24-7 first quarter set the tone for the Final, as Spain took command and were in complete control throughout, stretching their lead to as many as 77-35 four minutes into the fourth quarter.
Somto Okafor led the winners with 17 points and 6 rebounds, as Spain showed tremendous poise throughout, shooting 51 percent from the floor. For France, they were led by 11 points from Camille Sevaux.
Finland overpower Serbia in the second half to claim third
Finland reached the podium for the second year running as they overcame Serbia 75-52 in the Third Place Game.
Trailing by two at the break, Finland roared into life and took the lead for good in the early stages of the third quarter, outscoring their Serbian counterparts 49-24 in the second half to get third spot.
Anna Gardziella led Finland to victory with 28 points and 12 rebounds, with Jessi Nenonen adding 14 on 7-for-13 shooting. Milica Mazic and Ana Mutavdzic led Serbia with 11 points apiece.
Top Performers
Laura Vilcinskas stepped up when she was needed as she helped Belgium to fifth spot, which punched their ticket to next year’s FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China. Vilcinskas had 23 points on 5-for-9 shooting and 13-for-13 from the foul line, along with 14 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 66-55 success over Poland.
Latvia finished this year’s U18 Women’s EuroBasket in a respectable eight place after an 82-68 defeat to Italy. Jasmine Smate pulled the strings as she posted a double-double for the Latvians with 12 points, 11 assists, and 5 steals in the Classification Game for seventh place.
Croatia ended their U18 Women’s EuroBasket adventure on a low point, as they were beaten 80-53 by Slovenia in the Classification Game for 11-12. However, it didn’t deter the tournament’s leading scorer Olivia Vukosa from finishing on an individual high, as she poured in 19 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Anna Gardziella's exceptional performance guided Finland to third place as they defeated Serbia 75-52. The talented forward amassed a double-double of 28 points and 12 rebounds, while also getting 3 steals to end their campaign on a high note.
It was joy for Türkiye, as they secured Division A basketball next year by the skin of their teeth by beating hosts Sweden 80-77 in a thrilling battle. They were led by Ayse Demirer, who had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists as they managed to hang on in the final minute to grab the victory.
Results of the Day
Final
France 46-82 Spain
Third Place Game
Finland 75-52 Serbia
Classification 5-6
Poland 55-66 Belgium
Classification 7-8
Latvia 68-82 Italy
Classification 9-10
Germany 58-49 Czechia
Classification 11-12
Slovenia 80-53 Croatia
Classification 13-14
Sweden 77-80 Türkiye
Classification 15-16
Montenegro 54-87 Hungary
FIBA