ORADEA (Romania) - One day after hitting a buzzer-beater for a shocking upset over Serbia, Sebastian-Petru Lapuste put together another masterpiece at FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2026 with the first triple-double in 10 years in the competition.
Lapuste finished with an impressive 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals, whilst also adding 8 assists and 2 blocks in an epic 94-86 overtime defeat to Lithuania in front of the home fans in Oradea.
Lapuste had just missed a triple-double in the historic win over Serbia with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists.
But he got the job done against Lithuania, recording just the sixth triple-doubles in the competition's history - with the last one coming in the 2016 Final by Spain's Usman Garuba.
Triple-doubles in U16 EuroBasket history
Player | Opponent | Edition | Triple-Double |
|---|---|---|---|
Sebastian-Petru Lapuste (ROU) | Lithuania | 2026 | |
Usman Garuba (ESP) | Lithuania | 2016 | |
Dario Saric (CRO) | Lithuania | 2010 | |
Dejan Musli (SRB) | France | 2007 | |
Ricky Rubio (ESP) | Russia | 2006 | |
Ricky Rubio (ESP) | Russia | 2006 |
Lapuste also added his name to the competition's statistical record books.
His efficiency mark of 47 ranks sixth all time, while his 10 steals are only bettered by Ricky Rubio's 11 in 2006.
Highest efficiency in a single game
Rank | Player | Team | Opposition | Year | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Spain | Russia | 2006 | 72 | |
2. | Serbia | Poland | 2016 | 58 | |
3. | Belgium | MKD | 2023 | 51 | |
4. | Russia | Slovenia | 1997 | 48 | |
= | Croatia | Italy | 2018 | 48 | |
6. | Romania | Lithuania | 2026 | 47 | |
7. | Bulgaria | Montenegro | 2011 | 46 | |
= | Bulgaria | Poland | 2011 | 46 | |
9. | France | Latvia | 2014 | 45 | |
10. | Italy | Russia | 2017 | 44 | |
= | Israel | MKD | 2019 | 44 | |
= | Montenegro | Belgium | 2023 | 44 |
*since 1995
Rubio has two of the triple-doubles - both coming in 2006 - and the former Spanish superstar guard also registered the only quadruple-double in U16 EuroBasket history in 2006 with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and 11 steals in the Semi-Finals against Croatia.
Lapuste was just two assists shy of joining Rubio in quadruple-double history.
And, while Lapuste was making history, at the other end Lithuania's Danielius Jasikevicius dished out 12 assists, tying for sixth place in a single game.
FIBA