TBILISI (Georgia) - A thoroughly entertaining day of Quarter-Final action at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket saw the last four emerge in Tbilisi.
Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Serbia not only sealed their spot in the Semi-Finals but also qualified for next year's FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Türkiye.
You can stay up to date with the tournament and check out the latest results, group standings, and competition system for all the information you need.
Key Storylines
Italy's Machetti hits a game-winning triple to stun holders;
Lithuania's Kukta follows suit with last-gasp three to down Spain;
Serbia and Slovenia complete Semi-Final lineup;
One more spot up for grabs at next year's U17 World Cup.
Top Performers
When Slovenia has needed him to perform, Matic Rezec has consistently delivered so far. In the 80-74 Quarter-Final win over Latvia, Rezic went off for 28 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from long range, 5 rebounds and 3 steals for an efficiency of 32.
Serbia advanced to the Semi-Finals with a stellar 94-73 win over Türkiye. Nikola Kusturica starred as he went off for 30 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists, going an impressive 10-for-20 from the floor to match that efficiency rating of 32
Estonia fell short in the first Classification 9-16 game, losing 87-77 to Germany; however, there was a positive, and that was the performance of big man Erik Arula. The Virtus Bologna player shot 9-for-13 from the field on his way to a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double. He also racked up 3 steals for a rating of 31.
Germany's win over Estonia was mainly due to the strong inside performance of Paul-Julius Plato, who has been an offensive force since the third game of the Group Phase against Georgia. Since then, Plato has shot at 61 percent or higher from the field, and the victory over Estonia was no different. The Wurzburg teenager shot 7-for-10, had 13 rebounds, and swatted three shots away for a rating of 29.
Greece's offensive threat, Angelos Zoupas, made sure that Greece will continue in the top division, as his four triples, good for 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals ultimately sank Finland with Greece scoring an 85-70 win in the Classification 9-16 game.
Results of the Day
Quarter-Finals
France 73-76 Italy Lithuania 93-90 Spain Slovenia 80-74 Latvia Türkiye 73-94 Serbia
Semi-Finals
Slovenia vs Serbia Lithuania vs Italy
FIBA