EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 8/1/2010

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Men News

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  ARGENTINA   


Argentina advances to Big Final in Neiva - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Semifinals: URUGUAY - ARGENTINA 73-79

Argentina opened the championship in Neiva with defeat, but that didn't affect strong Argentineans and they made it to the Big Final. Argentina was better than Uruguay in the Semis 73-79 and will fight for Gold against Brazil. On the other side, Uruguay will play against Venezuela for the Bronze. Leonardo Mainoldi (204-F-85) led Argentina with 17 points and 7 rebounds, while Luis Cequeira (180-G-85) also had 17 pts but to go with 5 boards. Juan Gutierrez (205-F/C-83) helped with 14 pts and 5 rebs, and Juan Pablo Cantero (184-G-82) added 12 pts and 8 rebs. In the loosing squad, Mauricio Aguiar (199-F-83, agency: Players Group) shined with 24 pts. Martin Osimani (194-G-81, college: Duquesne) and Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) scored 14 points each.
Except of third quarter, everything else belonged to Argentina. Leonardo Mainoldi and his teammates were slightly better in the first period ending it with 19-21 lead. They intensified defense for rest of the first half and limited Uruguay to 13 second quarter points. They drained 18 on the other side for 22-39 advantage. Uruguay improved in third frame (18-16) and that was the only one which belonged to them. Argentina ended last ten minutes with 23-24 for the final 73-79 win and a spot for the Big Final in Neiva.
Saturday is the last day of the competition in Neiva.

Uruguay: Mauricio Aguiar 24, Martin Osimani 14, Fernando Martinez 14
Argentina: Leonardo Mainoldi 17+7 boards, Luis Cequeira 17+5 boards, Juan Gutierrez 14+5 boards, Juan Pablo Cantero 12+8 boards



Estudiantes land Chris Jeffries - by Eurobasket News
Estudiantes de Bahia strengthened their roster. They added Christopher Jeffries (199-F-80, college: Wash.-St.Louis) to the squad. The 29-year-old forward spent the previous season in Brazil. Christopher Jeffries played for Minas averaging 13.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Christopher Jeffries has previously played in Argentina. The forward had stints with Ben Hur and Obras Sanitarias. He also had spells in Uruguay, Ireland, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico.


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  AUSTRALIA   


SBL: The favorites reach the Semifinals - by Eurobasket News
All four favorites easily reached the semifinals in SBL. They all swept their Quarterfinal series.
Lakeside Lightning won over East Perth Eagles 105:87 on Friday for 2-0 record. Benjamin Beran paced all the winners with 24 points and Luke Payne (188-G-85, college: USC Upstate) netted 22. Stephen Weigh (198-G/F-87) answered with 34 points in the losing effort.
Perth Redbacks rolled over Wanneroo Wolves 111:95 also on Friday. Six players scored in double digits as Jesse Wagstaff top-scored for the winners with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Joel Wagner posted 20 and Daniel Maddox (201-F/C-85, college: Ouachita Baptist) ended up with 17 points. Zachary Coverstone finished the night with 27 points for the visitors.
Geraldton Buccaneers overcame Perry Lakes Hawks 106:82 in the last day of July. Ryan Zamroz poured in 24 points and Brian Connelly added 21. Benjamin Purser (198-G/F-90) responded with 22 points in the losing case.
Willetton Tigers swept the series over Goldfields Giants after 104:85 in Game 2. Cameron Tovey erupted with 29 points for the winners and Alex Prince (84) as well as Ty Shaw scored 21 each. Ryan Hulme ended up with 17 points for the Giants.
The first Semifinals are planned for August 6th.

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  AUSTRIA   


Daniel Friedrich wins the game for Austria - by Eurobasket News
Austria U18 - Switzerland U18 69:67
Daniel Friedrich (180-G-92) drained a late triple to propel Austria past Switzerland at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Austria will now play against Belarus for the ninth position at the tournament. Switzerland will take on Netherlands tomorrow.
Switzerland opened the game with eight points in a row. They maintained the lead well throughout the starting quarter and posted a 20:11 lead at the first break. Zoran Zivanovic (203-F/C-92) fired a three-pointer to boost the margin at 12-point mark early in the second term. Austria bounced back late in the half. They went on an 8:2 surge to pull within two points 30:32. Jozo Rados (203-C-93) knocked down three free throws late in half to give Austria a 35:34 lead at halftime. Mladjan and Michel-Ofik Nzege (206-C-92) gave the advantage back to Switzerland midway through the third term. The teams traded the lead for some time as Switzerland posted a 57:55 advantage into the fourth quarter. Zoran Zivanovic gave the Swiss team a 66:62 buffer with just over five minutes remaining. Daniel Friedrich and Michael Diesner (192-F/G-92) dropped four points in a row to draw things level at 66. Michel-Ofik Nzege put Switzerland up by one with a free throw. But Daniel Friedrich came up with a late three-pointer to ice the victory for Austria.
Jozo Rados came up with 17 points and 14 boards for Austria. Daniel Friedrich added 13 points, while Michael Diesner had 10 points for the winners. Zoran Zivanovic notched 15 points for Switzerland. Michel-Ofik Nzege accounted for 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Austria U18: Jozo Rados 17+14 boards, Daniel Friedrich 13, Michael Diesner 10
Switzerland U18: Zoran Zivanovic 15, Michel-Ofik Nzege 13


BasketClubs Vienna sign Markus Carr - by Eurobasket
BasketClubs Vienna agreed terms with 31-year old American guard Markus Carr (185-G-79, college: Cal.St. Northridge). Carr played most recently at BC Igokea Aleksandrovac (Bosnia). He missed the last season and had one year break from professional basketball Carr is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Bosnia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Venezuela.

By Eurobasket Data Center

BSC Raiffeisen Furstenfeld Panthers sign DeAngelo Alexander - by Eurobasket
BSC Raiffeisen Furstenfeld Panthers signed 26-year old American guard DeAngelo Alexander (198-G-84, college: Charlotte). Alexander played most recently at EnBW Ludwigsburg (Germany), where in 08-09 his stats were: 6.2ppg, 2.9rpg. He missed the last season and had one year break from professional basketball Alexander played also pro basketball in Germany and Romania.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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  BELARUS   


Belarus bump Netherlands in Israel - by Eurobasket News
Belarus U18 - Netherlands U18 68:56
Belarus overcame Netherlands at the U18 European championship in Division B today. The victory allowed Siarhei Varyvodau team to fight for the ninth overall position tomorrow. Belarus will take on the winners of Austria vs. Switzerland clash.
Netherlands quickly opened the game and led for some time throughout the starting period. But Belarus capped the term with 12:4 rally to take a 22:18 advantage. Netherlands grabbed the lead back midway through the second term but not for too long. Murashka hit a three-pointer to ignite a 13:0 run that put Belarus back in charge 43:31. They led by 8 points at halftime 43:35. Belarus did not allow their opponents any closer in the third quarter registering a 57:43 lead with ten minutes to go. Burger and Ivan Filipan (192-F-92) narrowed the gap to 8 points midway through the fourth term but Belarus stayed calm and sealed the winning outcome at the end.
Yauheni Suhaniaka (200-F-92) had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Belarus. Vitali Liutych (198-G/F-92) and Henadziy Zakhar (198-F-92) notched 12 points each in the victory. Benjamin Jegen (92) responded with 14 points for Netherlands. Ivan Filipan accounted for 12 points in the loss.

Belarus U18: Yauheni Suhaniaka 13+13 boards, Vitali Liutych 12, Henadziy Zakhar 12
Netherlands U18: Benjamin Jegen 14, Ivan Filipan 12


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  BELGIUM   


Mons Transfer News - by Peter Buyse
Dexia Mons-Hainaut has re-signed American forward Justin Cage (198-F-85, college: Xavier) for another season. Cage will start his 3rd season in Belgium. He started his Belgian career playing for Liege in 2008-2009, when he averaged 14.4 ppg. He then moved to Mons-Hainaut where his averages were 10.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg. His field goal percentage was a remarkable 60pct.
Cage is the only returning player on the Mons roster for the upcoming season.

Oostende Transfer News - by Peter Buyse
BC Telenet Oostende has announced the signing of US/Belgian forward Marcus Faison (196-G-78, college: Siena). Faison has plenty of experience in the Belgian League since he started his overseas career in 2000 playing for Verviers-Pepinster. He then moved to Charleroi where he played the next 4 seasons from 2002 till 2006. During his career in Belgium he earned several Eurobasket awards such as Import Player of the Year and Playoff MVP.
He split the past season between Peristeri in Greece and Dnipro in Ukraine. In 21 games in Greece he averaged 12.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg. His stats in Ukraine were 16.2 ppg and 4.7 rpg.

Estonia prevail against Belgium - by Eurobasket News
Estonia U18 - Belgium U18 59:57
Estonia earned a hard-fought win over Belgium at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Remy Pold (198-G-92) knocked down a three-pointer late in regulation to ensure a positive outcome for Estonia. The Baltic team will now take on England vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina clash in the fight for the fifth position.
Belgium knocked down 9 unanswered points midway through the opening frame to take a 13:4 lead. They finished the first ten minutes up by 10 points 19:9. Belgium boosted the gap to 17-point mark late in the first half. Belgium enjoyed a comfortable 34:19 advantage at the interval. But Estonia turned things around early in the third stanza. They went on a 17:2 rally to narrow the gap to only two points 36:38. Belgium did not allow their opponents to surge in front as they entered the fourth term ahead by 6 points 45:39. Janari Joesaar (197-F-93) and Rannar Raap (188-G/F-92) finally erased the deficit and Estonia posted a 50:49 lead. Belgium regained the advantage but Rannar Raap pulled the Baltic side in the drivers seat 56:54 with 18 seconds remaining. Loic Schwartz (198-G-92) drained what seemed a key three-pointer for Belgium as they gained a 57:56 lead with 7 seconds to go. However the time was just enough for Remy Pold to come up with a long bomb that won the game for Estonia.
Rannar Raap notched 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Estonia. Janari Joesaar added 9 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Loic Schwartz accounted for 14 points for Belgium. Arne Steinbach (182-G-92) contributed 11 points in the loss.

Estonia U18: Rannar Raap 24, Janari Joesaar 9, Rait-Riivo Laane (180-G-93) 7
Belgium U18: Loic Schwartz 14, Arne Steinbach 11


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  BOSNIA   


England eke out win against Bosnia and Herzegovina - by Eurobasket News
England U18 - Bosnia and Herzegovina U18 68:65
England will play for the fifth position at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They will face Estonia tomorrow. England held off Bosnia and Herzegovina in a tight battle tonight. Joshua Owen-Thomas (186-G-92) knocked down 18 points pace the English team.
The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout the opening quarter. Geramipoor capped it with a lay-up as England accumulated a 20:15 advantage. However Ernad Mujic (208-C-92) and Begacic quickly erased the deficit at the start of the second term. Ernad Mujic soon pulled Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge 36:28. Bosnia and Herzegovina took over and posted a 38:31 lead at halftime. John Stewart (198-F-93) and Joshua Owen-Thomas teamed up for 13 points at the beginning of the third quarter to draw things level at 44. Ernad Mujic returned the lead back to Bosnia and Herzegovina 52:46 late in the third term. John Stewart and Devon Van Oostrum (190-G-93) bridged the terms with back-to-back three-pointers as England once again leveled things up. It all came down to the final minutes in this one. Okereafor hit from downtown to spark a 7:0 run from England as they snatched a narrow victory at the end.
John Stewart knocked down 15 points for England. Devon Van Oostrum added 14 points, 6 boards and 6 assists in the victory. Ernad Mujic replied with 17 points for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mirza Bulic (204-F-92) had 13 points and 8 boards in defeat.

England U18: Joshua Owen-Thomas 18, John Stewart 15, Devon Van Oostrum 14
Bosnia and Herzegovina U18: Ernad Mujic 17, Mirza Bulic 13


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  BRAZIL   


South American Championship: Brazil outplays Venezuela in the Semis - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Semifinals: BRAZIL - VENEZUELA 79-67

Brazil stretched its winning streak in Neiva to four. It means that Brazilians advanced to Big Final, where they will meet Argentina. On the other side, Venezuela will play against Uruguay for the Bronze. Murilo da Rosa (210-C/F-83, agency: Arik Krayn Services) shined for Brazil with 25 points and 7 rebounds. He was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 22. Rafael Ferreira (208-C/F-88) scored 15 points and Arthur Luiz Belchior (200-G/F-82) helped with 10. In Venezuela, Rafael Perez (193-G/F-82, agency: Paris Global Sports) top-scored with 22 points. Hector Romero (202-F-80, college: New Orleans) followed him with 12.
Venezuela was slightly better team in the first quarter, as they made 18-20 lead. Next ten minutes were pretty tied as well, but this time they belonged to Brazil 16-15. At that point it seemed that this game could be interesting one until the very end, but Murilo da Rosa and his teammates had other thoughts. They came up strongly after the breather draining 23 points in Q3. At the same time, Brazilians limited Venezuela to 15 for plus 7 with ten minutes to go. Venezuela was in trouble, but they were not able to do anything about that. Brazil dominated in Q4 (22-17) and finished this game with plus 12.
Saturday is the last day of the competition in Neiva.

Brazil: Murilo da Rosa 25+7 boards, Rafael Ferreira 15, Arthur Luiz Belchior 10
Venezuela: Rafael Perez 22, Hector Romero 12



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  BULGARIA   


Ukraine U18 sent Bulgaria U18 to Division B - by Eurobasket News
Ukraine U18-Bulgaria U18 104:63
Ukraine U18 sent Bulgaria U18 to Division B thrashing them on Saturday at the U18 European Championship. Ukraine improved to 3-2 record after 104:63 win, while Bulgaria dropped to 1-4.
Ukraine started offensively and grabbed 32-19 after the first quarter. Hristo Gospodinov (199-F-92, agency: Interperformances) scored for 51:33 and Marchenko increased to 56:41. Ukraine enjoyed 61:44 as the teams went to the lockers. Both squads nailed 15 points each in the third period as Ukraine held off the opponents. The last quarter became a nightmare for Bulgaria that could not match the winners. Motorchuk scored for 99:63 and Mishula nailed three for three-digit number on the board. Virastiuk closed the game from the perimeter for the final success.
V'Yacheslav Bobrov (202-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Klym Artamonov (176-G-93) nailed 18 points. Pavlo Krutous (195-G/F-92) and Olexiy Len (210-C-93) delivered 15 points each in a win. Hristo Gospodinov responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Ivanov scored 11.
Germany will remain in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game. Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for the another second place to remain in Division A.

Ukraine U18: V'Yacheslav Bobrov 19, Klym Artamonov 18, Pavlo Krutous 15, Olexiy Len 15
Bulgaria U18: Hristo Gospodinov 18, Ivanov 11

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  CHILE   


Chile loses with Colombia and will play for the 7th place - by Cristian Quiroga
In another close game Chile fell by fourth time in line, this time against host Colombia 71-78. Fast game of Colombian team took the control from the beginning and Chilean NT conserved the distance always, but poor 3pt shots and free throws percentages didn't allow them to obtain the first victory in this tournament. Patricio Briones (213-C-72, college: Dade CC) was one more time the best scorer of Chile with 17 points, followed by Jose Luis Campos and Evandro Arteaga with 12 and 11 respectively. In the winner Stalin Ortiz (191-G-81, college: Valparaiso) was they with 22 points, behind him Enielsen Guevara with 17 and Edgar Moreno with 12.
This way Chile NT only could aspire to get 7th place, facing to Ecuador in the saturday action. For the 5th game will play Colombia against Paraguay, after Venezuela will fight for the 3rd place with Uruguay, and the SouthAmerican tittle will be discussed by Argentina and Brazil.

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  CHINA   


Standings - NBL
NBL Standings
Stage Two A
 1. Sichuan 15-2 
 2. Jiangsu 14-3 
 3. Guangzhou FM 9-7 
 4. Changan Group 9-8 
 5. Hangzhou 8-9 
 6. Whampoa 8-10 
 7. W.Liaoning 7-10 
 8. ShenYang 7-11 
 9. Heilongjiang 4-12 
 10. Jiyuan 4-13 
Stage One
 1. Anhui NS 0-0 
 2. Guangxi 0-0 
 3. Hebei 0-0 
 4. Hill 0-0 
 5. Hong Kong 0-0 
 6. Hubei 0-0 
 7. Liaoning 3C 0-0 
 8. Ningxia Hanas 0-0 


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  COLOMBIA   


Colombia to meet Paraguay for fifth place in Neiva - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Place 5-8: COLOMBIA - CHILE 78-71

Colombia made a first step forward to fifth place in Neiva. The host of South American Championship outplayed Chile 78-71 and will meet Paraguay for position No.5. Chile will play against Ecuador to avoid the last place at this event. Stalin Ortiz (191-G-81, college: Valparaiso) the leading scorer in victory with 22 points and he grabbed 5 rebounds beside that. Enielsen Guevara (204-F/C-82) collected 17 points and 9 rebounds. He reached valuation 22 taking the MVP title for this game. Edgar Moreno (191-G-81, college: UTEP) helped Colombia with 12 pts and 5 assists. In Chile, Patricio Briones (213-C-72, college: Dade CC) collected 17 points and 7 boards. Jose Luis Campos (189-G-80) and Evandro Arteaga (178-G-83) netted 12 and 11 points respectively.
Colombia did a good job in the first quarter making 20-14 lead. They were better in the next ten minutes as well to finish first half with plus 8. Chile improved after the breather, but was able to cut the margin for just 2 points. Everything was still open at that time, but in the finish the hosts were more focused and they managed to grab 78-71 win.
Saturday will be the last day in Neiva, where Brazil and Argentina will fight for the Gold. Games for third, fifth and seventh place will be played at the same day.

Colombia: Stalin Ortiz 22+5 boards, Enielsen Guevara 17+9 boards, Edgar Moreno 12+5 as
Chile: Patricio Briones 17+7 boards, Jose Luis Campos 12, Evandro Arteaga 11



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  CROATIA   


Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship - by Eurobasket News
Croatia U18-France U18 67:61
Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year as they won the very important game. Croatia U18 produced a 67:61 triumph over France in the 5-8 classification round of the European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius.
France, being the silver team last year started with a lay-up from Theo Leon (178-G-92) and Keita later scored for 10:9. He also closed the first period at 17:13. France continued to lead the game and Thomas Ceci (197-G-92) increased to 25:15 in the start of the second quarter. Fauconnet scored for 32;19, while Gobert gave France the biggest lead at 36:23. Theo Leon sent the squads to the lockers as France enjoyed 38:28 at the halftime. Croatia needed 11-0 run in the start of the third quarter for 39:38 advantage. After 21-10 in the frame Croatia grabbed 49:48 lead after three quarters. They never looked behind after and Ramljak nailed three for 62:52 lead midway through the last quarter. Deal was the last to score in the game, while Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year.
Dario Saric (204-F/C-93) stepped up with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Toni Katic (185-G-92) notched 12, whilst Boris Barac (204-F-92) scored 9. Thomas Ceci finished the night with 19 points in the losing effort and Theo Leon added 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.

Croatia U18: Dario Saric 18+8 rebs, Toni Katic 12, Boris Barac 9
France U18: Thomas Ceci 19, Theo Leon 10


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  CYPRUS   


Nissan Omonia sign Dejan Dunovic - by Eurobasket
Nissan Omonia signed 1-year contract with 28-year old Slovenian guard Dejan Dunovic (193-G-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza). Dunovic played most recently at Rilski Sport Samokov (Bulgaria). However he played just 3 games in Bulgarian League where averaged 1.3ppg and 1.0rpg. His best season was two years ago when he was selected as substitute player to Slovenian League all-star game. Dunovic has also experience playing pro basketball in Hungary.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Cyprus U16 win European Championship in Division C - by Eurobasket News
Cyprus U16 - Scotland U16 74:30
Cyprus finished their U16 European Championship in Division C campaign in style. They thumped Scotland to triumph in Andorra. Giorgos Stylianou came up with 20 points and 7 rebounds to lead the victors.
Cyprus opened the championship clash with 13 points in a row. Cyprus kept on rolling to shock Scotland with a 26:2 start to the encounter. Cyprus enjoyed a 28:7 lead ten minutes into the game. Scotland tipped off the second frame with a 6:2 surge to stop the bleeding. But the teams kept scoreless for four minutes late in the half as Cyprus posted a comfortable 35:16 advantage at halftime. Cyprus went on a 9:0 run at the start of the third quarter to aggravate the damage. The Cypriot avalanche continued throughout the stanza. They recorded a 53:24 lead with ten minutes remaining. Scotland never recovered in the fourth period and had to surrender at the end.
Constantinos Papacostas accounted for 16 points for Cyprus. Roberto Mantovani added 13 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Michael Secker answered with 8 points for Scotland. Jack Nicholson and Matthew Wilcox had 5 points each in the loss.

Cyprus U16: Giorgos Stylianou 20, Constantinos Papacostas 16, Roberto Mantovani 13+12 boards
Scotland U16: Michael Secker 8, Jack Nicholson 5, Matthew Wilcox 5


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  CZECH REPUBLIC   


Czech Republic win semifinal, promotion to Division A - by Eurobasket News
Czech Republic U18 - Montenegro U18 56:54
Czech Republic are the first finalists of the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Montenegro in the first semifinal of the day. Thus Czech Republic got promoted to Division A for the next edition of the tournament.
The lead changed hands for several times throughout the tense first quarter. Czech Republic eked out a 17:15 lead ten minutes into the game. Montenegro opened the second frame with six points in a row to pull ahead. Radosav Spasojevic (204-F-92) and Grabovica gave the Balkan side a 31:22 lead midway through the second term. However trebles from Honomichl and Jaromir Bohacik (198-F-92) allowed Czech Republic to trail by just five points at halftime 28:33. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Montenegro did not surrender the lead as they posted a 45:38 advantage before the final quarter. Nemanja Djurisic (202-F-92) opened an 11-point lead for Montenegro at the start of the fourth stanza. But Kriz and Tomas Vyoral (190-G-92) organized a 16:2 run that put Czech Republic in front 55:52 with 17 seconds remaining. Radosav Spasojevic converted a lay-up to drag Montenegro closer but Tomas Vyoral hit a free throw to keep Czech Republic in charge. Grabovica had a chance to save the game for Montenegro but his desperate three-pointer went off mark.
Tomas Vyoral knocked down 16 points to pace Czech Republic. Jan Svejda (202-F-92) added 13 points in the win. Radosav Spasojevic netted 18 points for Montenegro. Nemanja Djurisic had 13 points in defeat.

Czech Republic U18: Tomas Vyoral 16, Jan Svejda 13, Jaromir Bohacik 9
Montenegro U18: Radosav Spasojevic 18, Nemanja Djurisic 13


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  DENMARK   


Hungary prevail against Denmark in Israel - by Eurobasket News
Hungary U18 - Denmark U18 70:61
Hungary will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Denmark today to set up the clash against Scotland. Denmark will wrap up their campaign against Luxembourg. Balazs Kerpel-Fronius (193-G/F-92) scored 17 points to pace Hungary.
Denmark got to the better start. They were up by 8 points midway through the starting quarter 12:4. Denmark won the opening frame 19:15. Kevin Larsen (204-F-93) stretched the gap t0 8 points at the start of the second frame. Kevin Larsen soon opened a double-digit advantage for the Danish team. Hungary cut the margin but still trailed by 7 points at halftime 31:38. Hungary pulled even closer in the third stanza but Denmark did not their opponents to surge in front. The Scandinavians earned a 49:45 advantage at the final intermission. Hungary tipped off the fourth quarter with a 7:1 run to jump ahead. The teams traded baskets for some time before Adam Varga (190-G-92) and Balazs Kerpel-Fronius exploded with three straight trebles to win the game for Hungary.
Laszlo Dobos (216-C-93, agency: FCM) finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Hungary. Adam Varga had 8 points in the loss. Kevin Larsen replied with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Denmark. Soren Dossing (185-G-92) produced 8 points in the loss.

Hungary U18: Balazs Kerpel-Fronius 17, Laszlo Dobos 16+12 boards, Adam Varga 8
Denmark U18: Kevin Larsen 27, Soren Dossing 8


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  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC   


Dominicans win the Bronze in Mayaguez - by Eurobasket News
CAC Games, Third place: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 79-69

The Bronze belongs to Dominicans. They outplayed ISV in the last day of the competition to finish as No.3. Kelvin Pena (193-G-80, college: Southeastern CC) was the leading player in victory with 26 points. Actually, he was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 19. Jack Michael Martinez (203-F/C-81, agency: Paris Global Sports) had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, while Carlos Paniagua (201-F/C-76, college: Tenn Temple) added 10 points and 12 boards. In the loosing squad, Walter Hodge (183-G-86, college: Florida) collected 24 points and 5 boards. Jason Edwin (197-G/F-81, college: Kent St.) (5 rebs) and Devon Peltier (180-G-87) had 14 and 11 points respectively. Their ISV stayed without the medal at this event.
Last quarter was the crucial on in this game. Before that, ISV made 18-20 in the first, while the second quarter was totally tied to 16-16. Nothing has changed after the breather. Teams exchanged baskets and another pretty leveled quarter was seen. Anyway, it also belonged to ISV who headed to last ten minutes with 3-point lead. Than, ISV players somehow stopped and Dominicans took full control on this meeting. Kelvin Pena was on fire and mostly owing to him Dominicans drained 24 points in the last quarter. They limited ISV to just 11 celebrating comfortable 79-69 win for the Bronze medal in Mayaguez.

Dominican Republic: Kelvin Pena 26, Jack Michael Martinez 13+11 boards+6 as, Carlos Paniagua 10+12 boards
U.S. Virgin Islands: Walter Hodge 24+5 boards, Jason Edwin 14+5 boards, Devon Peltier 11



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  ECUADOR   


Paraguay outguns Ecuador with ease - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Places 5-8: ECUADOR - PARAGUAY 45-89

As expected, Paraguay had an easy job against Ecuador celebrating 45-89 victory. It was just a first step forward to fifth place by Ecuador, who will have to beat Colombia in order to win that spot. Ecuador will play against Chile and will try to avoid the last place in Neiva. So far they registered poor 0-4. Jose Fabio (198-F-77) came up with double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds in Paraguay. Bruno Zanotti (197-F-82, college: Merrimack) (6 as) and Gustavo Torres (175-G-80) also helped their team with 19 points each. Daniel Perez (190-G/F-84) and Sergio Lopez (189-G/F-86) (5 rebs, 5 as) added 11 and 10 points respectively. In defeat, Jose Vicente Diaz (196-F-75) delivered 11 points. Nixon Mina (F-90) had 9 pts and 16 rebounds.
Ecuador managed to resist only in the first quarter, which still belonged to Paraguay 19-21. Jose Fabio and his teammates destroyed Ecuador with 8-23 for the next ten minutes already making comfortable lead. After the breather, Paraguay continued to dominate. They closed third period with 11-23 and question about the winner was resolved. Ecuador was not able to respond in the last ten minutes, which Paraguay finished with 7-22. At the and, it was a 45-89 blowout win by Paraguay.

Ecuador: Jose Vicente Diaz 11, Nixon Mina 9+16 boards
Paraguay: Jose Fabio 19+13 boards, Bruno Zanotti 19+6 as, Gustavo Torres 19, Daniel Perez 11, Sergio Lopez 10+5 boards+5 as



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  ESTONIA   


Estonia prevail against Belgium - by Eurobasket News
Estonia U18 - Belgium U18 59:57
Estonia earned a hard-fought win over Belgium at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Remy Pold (198-G-92) knocked down a three-pointer late in regulation to ensure a positive outcome for Estonia. The Baltic team will now take on England vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina clash in the fight for the fifth position.
Belgium knocked down 9 unanswered points midway through the opening frame to take a 13:4 lead. They finished the first ten minutes up by 10 points 19:9. Belgium boosted the gap to 17-point mark late in the first half. Belgium enjoyed a comfortable 34:19 advantage at the interval. But Estonia turned things around early in the third stanza. They went on a 17:2 rally to narrow the gap to only two points 36:38. Belgium did not allow their opponents to surge in front as they entered the fourth term ahead by 6 points 45:39. Janari Joesaar (197-F-93) and Rannar Raap (188-G/F-92) finally erased the deficit and Estonia posted a 50:49 lead. Belgium regained the advantage but Rannar Raap pulled the Baltic side in the drivers seat 56:54 with 18 seconds remaining. Loic Schwartz (198-G-92) drained what seemed a key three-pointer for Belgium as they gained a 57:56 lead with 7 seconds to go. However the time was just enough for Remy Pold to come up with a long bomb that won the game for Estonia.
Rannar Raap notched 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Estonia. Janari Joesaar added 9 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Loic Schwartz accounted for 14 points for Belgium. Arne Steinbach (182-G-92) contributed 11 points in the loss.

Estonia U18: Rannar Raap 24, Janari Joesaar 9, Rait-Riivo Laane (180-G-93) 7
Belgium U18: Loic Schwartz 14, Arne Steinbach 11


*****************************************************
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U16   


Division C. Semifinals in Andorra - by Eurobasket News
Semifinals
Cyprus U16 Andorra U16 87:45
Cyprus will play in the title game of the U16 European Championship in Division C. They held off hosting Andorra to reach the championship clash. Cyprus will take on Scotland for the trophy. Andorra will play against San Marino for the Bronze.
Cyprus got to the confident start as they notched six points in a row. Cyprus maintained the lead throughout the opening quarter and recorded a 21:11 advantage at the first pause. Andorra tipped off the second quarter with 6 straight points to cut the deficit. But Cyprus shifted the gear and eased to a 43:28 lead at halftime. Cyprus kept the hosts at distance in the third stanza. They registered a 65:39 buffer heading into the fourth quarter. Cyprus did not loosen the grasp in the fourth period and rallied to the victory at the end.
Dimitris Aristotelous produced 16 points to lead Cyprus. Viktor Ieronymidis added 15 points in the win. Alex Fraile and Marc Roca answered with 8 points each for Andorra.

Cyprus U16: Dimitris Aristotelous 16, Viktor Ieronymidis 15, Giorgos Stylianou 14
Andorra U16: Alex Fraile 8, Marc Roca 8

Scotland U16 - San Marino U16 71:52
Scotland ensured the spot in the championship game at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They held off San Marino in the starting semifinal in Andorra today. Matthew Wilcox scored 18 points to lead Scotland to the victory.
Jack Nicholson opened the scoring for Scotland. San Marino however quickly rebounded and posted a 10:7 lead midway through the frame. Scotland capped the term with an 8:1 run to take a 15:11 lead at the first intermission. Scott Rooney knocked down 6 points in the second period as Scotland boosted the lead. They established a 29:18 buffer at the main break. Matthew Wilcox helped the Scottish team to a 15-point advantage at the start of the third period. Scotland opened a 20-point margin late in the third quarter. San Marino nevertheless tried to stay competitive as they entered the fourth stanza trailing by 12 points 41:53. Jack Nicholson fired 5 points in a row at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Scotland never looked back en route to the win. Nicholson delivered 14 points for the winners. Scott Rooney added 12 points and 9 rebounds for Scotland. Julian Gualtieri accounted for game-high 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for San Marino. Lorenzo Guerra provided 16 points in defeat.

Scotland U16: Matthew Wilcox 18, Jack Nicholson 14, Scott Rooney 12
San Marino U16: Julian Gualtieri 25, Lorenzo Guerra 16


7-8 place
Monaco U16 - Gibraltar U16 49:36
Monaco recorded the first win at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They wrapped up their campaign in Andorra with victory over Gibraltar. Daniel Pieper knocked down 13 points to pace Monaco as they occupied the seventh overall position.
Monaco opened the game with a 15:1 run to clear off. They recorded an 18:4 lead ten minutes into the game. Gibraltar pulled within eight minutes midway through the second term. But Monaco struck back and posted a 29:16 lead at the interval. Gibraltar worked hard to deny the deficit in the third term. Bado helped the team to narrow the distance to just four points 29:33 late in the quarter. But Monaco capped the period with six points in a row to earn a 39:29 lead. Monaco stretched the gap to 15 points at the start of the fourth term and never looked back en route to the win.
Jules Ba produced 11 points and 12 rebounds for Monaco. Manuel Robinaud had 10 points in the victory. Adrian Bado accounted for 11 points and 12 rebounds for Gibraltar. Jensen Balestrino had 13 rebounds and 7 blocks to his tally.
Monaco U16: Daniel Pieper 13, Jules Ba 11+12 boards, Manuel Robinaud 10
Gibraltar U16: Adrian Bado 11+12 boards, Thomas Yome 7, James Quigley 7



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  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18   


Standings Division A
Standings
Group E
1. Lithuania5-0
2. Latvia3-2
3. Poland2-3
4. France2-3
5. Spain2-3
6. Slovenia1-4
Group F
1. Russia4-1
2. Serbia3-2
3. Croatia3-2
4. Greece3-2
5. Italy1-4
6. Turkey1-4
Group G (Classif.)
1. Germany4-1
2. Ukraine3-2
3. Sweden2-3
4. Bulgaria1-4


Stats Leader
Points Per Game
 Alasdair FRASER
  (201-C-92)
  Avg: 21.1
 1. Fraser, SCO21.1 
 2. Liutych, BLR18.7 
 3. Sanadze, GEO18.7 
 4. Laurent, LUX18.3 
 5. Spasojevic, MNT17.3 
 6. Larsen, DEN16.1 
 7. Novas, AUT15.8 
 8. Van Oostrum, ENG15.3 
 9. Benzon, DEN15.3 
 10. Bulic, BIH14.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jozo RADOS
  (203-C-93)
  Avg: 11.1
 1. Rados, AUT11.1 
 2. Balvin, CZE10.4 
 3. Fraser, SCO10.0 
 4. Suhaniaka, BLR9.9 
 5. Laurent, LUX9.1 
 6. Zakhar, BLR9.0 
 7. Joesaar, EST8.4 
 8. Liutych, BLR8.3 
 9. Toth, ROM8.0 
 10. Kriz, CZE7.7 
Assists Per Game
 Bar TIMOR
  (192-G-92)
  Avg: 6
 1. Timor, ISR6.0 
 2. Van Oostrum, ENG5.5 
 3. Lavie, ISR4.4 
 4. Maksimovic, BIH4.4 
 5. Vancura, AUT4.1 
 6. Bunyan, SCO4.1 
 7. Tetelashvili, GEO4.1 
 8. Kysela, SVK3.7 
 9. Djordan, MNT3.7 
 10. Friedrich, AUT3.7 
Steals Per Game
 Guy LAVIE
  (187-G-92)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Lavie, ISR3.1 
 2. Murati, SUI2.9 
 3. Savoy, SUI2.7 
 4. Raap, EST2.6 
 5. Sanadze, GEO2.6 
 6. Timor, ISR2.4 
 7. Hot, MNT2.3 
 8. Ojomoh, BEL2.3 
 9. Papruha, BLR2.2 
 10. Van Oostrum, ENG2.2 
Blocks Per Game
 Ondrej BALVIN
  (215-C-92)
  Avg: 2.9
 1. Balvin, CZE2.9 
 2. Dobos, HUN2.4 
 3. Bojanovsky, SVK2.4 
 4. Toth, ROM2.3 
 5. Zakhar, BLR2.0 
 6. Eleraky, DEN1.7 
 7. Nzege, SUI1.6 
 8. Mumladze, GEO1.6 
 9. Chuku, ENG1.6 
 10. Laurent, LUX1.4 


Stats Leaders Div. A
Points Per Game
 Alessandro GENTILE
  (198-G/F-92)
  Avg: 23
 1. Gentile, ITA23.0 
 2. Valanciunas, LTU18.0 
 3. Artamonov, UKR16.0 
 4. Chrysikopoul., GRE15.9 
 5. Pukis, LTU15.1 
 6. Len, UKR15.0 
 7. Dukulis, LAT14.8 
 8. Ceron, ITA14.8 
 9. Omic, SLO14.3 
 10. Ponitka, POL14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jonas VALANCIUNAS
  (210-C-92)
  Avg: 12.9
 1. Valanciunas, LTU12.9 
 2. Len, UKR10.4 
 3. Pajic, SLO10.0 
 4. Gospodinov, BUL9.5 
 5. Gobert, FRA8.6 
 6. Chrysikopoul., GRE8.4 
 7. Dukulis, LAT8.3 
 8. Neumann, GER8.1 
 9. Omic, SLO7.9 
 10. Bertans, LAT7.6 
Assists Per Game
 Vytenis CIZAUSKAS
  (189-G-92)
  Avg: 5.6
 1. Cizauskas, LTU5.6 
 2. Varnakov, RUS5.6 
 3. Artamonov, UKR4.8 
 4. Person, SWE4.3 
 5. Kulagin, RUS4.3 
 6. Vecvagars, LAT4.0 
 7. Rupnik, SLO4.0 
 8. Grochowski, POL3.9 
 9. Kwiatkowski, POL3.9 
 10. Katic, CRO3.9 
Steals Per Game
 Dmitry KULAGIN
  (195-G-92)
  Avg: 2.9
 1. Kulagin, RUS2.9 
 2. Varnakov, RUS2.4 
 3. Trushkin, RUS2.1 
 4. Marchenko, UKR2.1 
 5. Timma, LAT2.0 
 6. Rupnik, SLO2.0 
 7. Leon, FRA2.0 
 8. Vujosevic, SRB1.9 
 9. Karasev, RUS1.8 
 10. Gentile, ITA1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Olexiy LEN
  (210-C-93)
  Avg: 4.4
 1. Len, UKR4.4 
 2. Valanciunas, LTU2.9 
 3. Chrysikopoul., GRE2.9 
 4. Gobert, FRA1.8 
 5. Bertans, LAT1.6 
 6. Najev, CRO1.4 
 7. Niedzwiedzki, POL1.4 
 8. Bobrov, UKR1.4 
 9. Neumann, GER1.4 
 10. Trushkin, RUS1.3 


M-Standings - Group B
Standings Div.B
Group E (1-8 pl.)
1. Czech Repub.2-1
2. Finland2-1
3. Belgium2-1
4. Bosnia0-3
Group F (1-8 pl.)
1. Montenegro3-0
2. Israel2-1
3. U.Kingdom1-2
4. Estonia0-3
Group G (9-16 pl.)
1. Switzerland2-0
2. Holland2-0
3. Scotland0-2
4. Hungary0-2
Group H (9-16 pl.)
1. Austria2-0
2. Belarus1-1
3. Denmark1-1
4. Luxembourg0-2
Group I (17-20pl.)
1. Slovakia3-0
2. Portugal2-1
3. Georgia1-2
4. Romania0-3


Div. B Day: 8 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
13-16 places
Denmark - Hungary 61-70
Hungary will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Denmark today to set up the clash against Scotland. Denmark will wrap up their campaign against Luxembourg. Balazs Kerpel-Fronius (193-G/F-92) scored 17 points to pace Hungary. Denmark got to the better start. They were up by 8 points midway through the starting quarter 12:4. Denmark won the opening frame 19:15. Kevin Larsen (204-F-93) stretched the gap t0 8 points at the start of the second frame. Kevin Larsen soon opened a double-digit advantage for the Danish team. Hungary cut the margin but still trailed by 7 points at halftime 31:38. Hungary pulled even closer in the third stanza but Denmark did not their opponents to surge in front. The Scandinavians earned a 49:45 advantage at the final intermission. Hungary tipped off the fourth quarter with a 7:1 run to jump ahead. The teams traded baskets for some time before Adam Varga (190-G-92) and Balazs Kerpel-Fronius exploded with three straight trebles to win the game for Hungary. Laszlo Dobos (216-C-93, agency: FCM) finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Hungary. Adam Varga had 8 points in the loss. Kevin Larsen replied with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Denmark. Soren Dossing (185-G-92) produced 8 points in the loss.


Scotland - Luxembourg 70-45
Scotland will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Luxembourg in the classification round today. Alasdair Fraser (201-C-92) was unstoppable with 33 points and 20 rebounds for the Scottish team. Alasdair Fraser knocked down 10 points in the starting frame to give Scotland a 17:14 lead. Scotland used a 13:2 run in the second quarter to boost the margin to 15 points. Alasdair Fraser capped the half with a lay-up as Scotland posted a 41:24 advantage. Alasdair Fraser notched 7 points in a row as the gap grew at 24-point mark. Luxembourg could not recover as they trailed by as many as 26 points heading into the fourth quarter. Scotland opened the fourth frame with seven points in a row and never looked back en route to the victory. Glass and Lee Reilly (182-G-92) notched 6 points each for the winners. Alex Laurent (195-C-93) responded with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Eric steffen (183-G-92) and Max Schmit (182-G-92) had 7 points each in the loss. Scotland will take on the winners of Denmark vs. Hungary clash. Luxembourg will face the losing side in the clash for the 15th place tomorrow.
5-8 places
Belgium - Estonia 57-59
Estonia earned a hard-fought win over Belgium at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Remy Pold (198-G-92) knocked down a three-pointer late in regulation to ensure a positive outcome for Estonia. The Baltic team will now take on England vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina clash in the fight for the fifth position. Belgium knocked down 9 unanswered points midway through the opening frame to take a 13:4 lead. They finished the first ten minutes up by 10 points 19:9. Belgium boosted the gap to 17-point mark late in the first half. Belgium enjoyed a comfortable 34:19 advantage at the interval. But Estonia turned things around early in the third stanza. They went on a 17:2 rally to narrow the gap to only two points 36:38. Belgium did not allow their opponents to surge in front as they entered the fourth term ahead by 6 points 45:39. Janari Joesaar (197-F-93) and Rannar Raap (188-G/F-92) finally erased the deficit and Estonia posted a 50:49 lead. Belgium regained the advantage but Rannar Raap pulled the Baltic side in the drivers seat 56:54 with 18 seconds remaining. Loic Schwartz (198-G-92) drained what seemed a key three-pointer for Belgium as they gained a 57:56 lead with 7 seconds to go. However the time was just enough for Remy Pold to come up with a long bomb that won the game for Estonia. Rannar Raap notched 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Estonia. Janari Joesaar added 9 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Loic Schwartz accounted for 14 points for Belgium. Arne Steinbach (182-G-92) contributed 11 points in the loss.


United Kingdom - Bosnia 68-65
England will play for the fifth position at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They will face Estonia tomorrow. England held off Bosnia and Herzegovina in a tight battle tonight. Joshua Owen-Thomas (186-G-92) knocked down 18 points pace the English team. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout the opening quarter. Geramipoor capped it with a lay-up as England accumulated a 20:15 advantage. However Ernad Mujic (208-C-92) and Begacic quickly erased the deficit at the start of the second term. Ernad Mujic soon pulled Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge 36:28. Bosnia and Herzegovina took over and posted a 38:31 lead at halftime. John Stewart (198-F-93) and Joshua Owen-Thomas teamed up for 13 points at the beginning of the third quarter to draw things level at 44. Ernad Mujic returned the lead back to Bosnia and Herzegovina 52:46 late in the third term. John Stewart and Devon Van Oostrum (190-G-93) bridged the terms with back-to-back three-pointers as England once again leveled things up. It all came down to the final minutes in this one. Okereafor hit from downtown to spark a 7:0 run from England as they snatched a narrow victory at the end. John Stewart knocked down 15 points for England. Devon Van Oostrum added 14 points, 6 boards and 6 assists in the victory. Ernad Mujic replied with 17 points for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mirza Bulic (204-F-92) had 13 points and 8 boards in defeat.
9-12 places
Austria - Switzerland 69-67
Daniel Friedrich (180-G-92) drained a late triple to propel Austria past Switzerland at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Austria will now play against Belarus for the ninth position at the tournament. Switzerland will take on Netherlands tomorrow. Switzerland opened the game with eight points in a row. They maintained the lead well throughout the starting quarter and posted a 20:11 lead at the first break. Zoran Zivanovic (203-F/C-92) fired a three-pointer to boost the margin at 12-point mark early in the second term. Austria bounced back late in the half. They went on an 8:2 surge to pull within two points 30:32. Jozo Rados knocked down three free throws late in half to give Austria a 35:34 lead at halftime. Mladjan and Michel-Ofik Nzege (206-C-92) gave the advantage back to Switzerland midway through the third term. The teams traded the lead for some time as Switzerland posted a 57:55 advantage into the fourth quarter. Zoran Zivanovic gave the Swiss team a 66:62 buffer with just over five minutes remaining. Daniel Friedrich and Michael Diesner dropped four points in a row to draw things level at 66. Michel-Ofik Nzege put Switzerland up by one with a free throw. But Daniel Friedrich came up with a late three-pointer to ice the victory for Austria. Jozo Rados came up with 17 points and 14 boards for Austria. Daniel Friedrich added 13 points, while Michael Diesner had 10 points for the winners. Zoran Zivanovic notched 15 points for Switzerland. Michel-Ofik Nzege accounted for 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Holland - Belarus 56-68
Belarus overcame Netherlands at the U18 European championship in Division B today. The victory allowed Siarhei Varyvodau team to fight for the ninth overall position tomorrow. Belarus will take on the winners of Austria vs. Switzerland clash. Netherlands quickly opened the game and led for some time throughout the starting period. But Belarus capped the term with 12:4 rally to take a 22:18 advantage. Netherlands grabbed the lead back midway through the second term but not for too long. Murashka hit a three-pointer to ignite a 13:0 run that put Belarus back in charge 43:31. They led by 8 points at halftime 43:35. Belarus did not allow their opponents any closer in the third quarter registering a 57:43 lead with ten minutes to go. Burger and Ivan Filipan (192-F-92) narrowed the gap to 8 points midway through the fourth term but Belarus stayed calm and sealed the winning outcome at the end. Yauheni Suhaniaka (200-F-92) had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Belarus. Vitali Liutych (198-G/F-92) and Henadziy Zakhar (198-F-92) notched 12 points each in the victory. Benjamin Jegen (92) responded with 14 points for Netherlands. Ivan Filipan accounted for 12 points in the loss.
Group I
Slovakia - Portugal 71-65
Slovak Republic finished their U18 European Championship in Division B campaign on a high note. They held off Portugal to claim the 17th place. Portugal finished in the 18th position. Julius Antal (92) and Boris Bojanovsky (215-C-93) scored 15 points each to pace Slovak Republic in this one. Slovak Republic led right from the start. They posted a 15:12 advantage ten minutes into the game. Slovak Republic opened the second period with four points in a row to stretch the margin. They rolled confidently throughout the period and posted a 36:30 advantage at halftime. Boyanosvky tipped off the third period with five points in a row as Slovak Republic took an 11-point advantage. Portugal could not get any closer as they trailed by 14 points with ten minutes to go 43:57. Slovak Republic kept their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth term. Portugal managed to close the game on a 9:0 run to sweeten the pill. Maurizio Galata (197-F-92) provided 14 points for Slovak Republic. Matej Hatrik (183-G-92) added 8 points in the victory. Eduardo Guimaraes (185-G-92) notched 18 points for Portugal. Rafael Wildner (204-F/C-92) accounted for 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.


Romania - Georgia 56-71
Georgia snapped the losing skid and recorded the first win at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They outscored Romania in the final game of the tournament. Georgia thus clinched the 19th position in the ladder. Duda Sanadze (196-G-92) notched 18 points to pace Georgia. The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Levan Eliadze (197-F-92) drained two triples late in the period to help Georgia accumulate a 13:9 lead. Levan Eliadze and Duda Sanadze tipped off the second stanza with five points in a row as Georgia boosted the lead. Georgia used a 9:0 run to take a 12-point advantage midway through the second quarter. Romania answered with 10 consecutive points to narrow the deficit at just 2 points at halftime 30:32. The teams stayed close in the third term. The lead changed for several times before Georgia pulled in front 50:44 with ten minutes to go. Georgia ignited a 7:0 rally in the final period to pile up an 11-point buffer midway through the stanza. Levan Eliadze soon gave a 20-point for Georgia and they never looked back en route to the victory. Levan Eliadze finished with 15 points for Georgia. Nodar Tenieshvili (198-F-92) notched 13 points in the victory. Horia Cristiean (183-G-93) answered with 14 points for Romania. Aurelian Toth (210-C-92) added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.
SEMIFINAL
Montenegro - Czech Republic 54-56
Czech Republic are the first finalists of the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Montenegro in the first semifinal of the day. Thus Czech Republic got promoted to Division A for the next edition of the tournament. The lead changed hands for several times throughout the tense first quarter. Czech Republic eked out a 17:15 lead ten minutes into the game. Montenegro opened the second frame with six points in a row to pull ahead. Radosav Spasojevic (204-F-92) and Grabovica gave the Balkan side a 31:22 lead midway through the second term. However trebles from Honomichl and Jaromir Bohacik (198-F-92) allowed Czech Republic to trail by just five points at halftime 28:33. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Montenegro did not surrender the lead as they posted a 45:38 advantage before the final quarter. Nemanja Djurisic (202-F-92) opened an 11-point lead for Montenegro at the start of the fourth stanza. But Kriz and Tomas Vyoral (190-G-92) organized a 16:2 run that put Czech Republic in front 55:52 with 17 seconds remaining. Radosav Spasojevic converted a lay-up to drag Montenegro closer but Tomas Vyoral hit a free throw to keep Czech Republic in charge. Grabovica had a chance to save the game for Montenegro but his desperate three-pointer went off mark. Tomas Vyoral knocked down 16 points to pace Czech Republic. Jan Svejda (202-F-92) added 13 points in the win. Radosav Spasojevic netted 18 points for Montenegro. Nemanja Djurisic had 13 points in defeat.


Finland - Israel 61-59
Finland entered the championship game at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off hosting Israel in the dramatic semifinal clash in Tel-Aviv tonight. Villematti Kopio (182-G-92) finished the game with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the winners. The victory automatically means Division A promotion for Finland. They will take on Czech Republic for the crown tomorrow. The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Finland eked out a 15:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. Israel went on an 8:0 run to surge ahead midway through the second frame. The hosts posted a narrow 30:29 lead at halftime. Villematti Kopio opened the second half with five consecutive points to put Finland back in charge. But Israel quickly regained control as the seesaw action continued. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 44. Finland and Israel were leveled at 59 with just over a minute remaining. Vaenerberg and Kilian Cato (201-F/C-92) knocked down three points in the remaining seconds and Finland escaped with a narrow thrilling win at the end. Osku Heinonen (194-F/G-92) accounted for 16 points for the winning team. Aleksi Koskinen (183-G-92) and Kilian Cato had 8 points each in the victory. Bar Timor (192-G-92, agency: Avi Zilberman) replied with 23 points for Israel. Guy Lavie (187-G-92) notched 9 points in defeat.



Day: 8 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
SEMIFINAL
Latvia - Russia 42-73
Russia destroyed Latvia for the big Final in Vilnius at the U18 European Championship. The Russian side separated the Baltic Final smashing Latvia 73:42 in the last game on Saturday. Loginov made the first jump shot for the winners, while Latvia bounced back with 6-0 run. Tikhonin and Apsitis exchanged the leads and Bekkiev tied the quarter at 11:11. The score was tied four times in the second period, while Russia finished the half with 8-0 run for 28:23 halftime advantage. In the second half the court was dominated only by one team that played awesome both in defense and offense. Russia reached 47:33 as Sergey Karasev (200-F-93) closed the third period in the game. In the last quarter Russia limited the opponents to just 9 points and easily won the semifinal. Trushkin made the last jump shot in the game for the final success. Sergey Karasev paced all the winners with 16 points for the big Final. Trushkin netted 13, while Loginov collected 12 points and 14 rebounds. Bertans responded with 12 points and Timma poured in 9. Tomorrow Russia will face Lithuania in the Final as an unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifted the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated.

Lithuania - Serbia 67-66
An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifts the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated. Lithuania started as it was expected and reached 4-0 in the opening tip. Vujosevic reduced to 11:9, while the hists created a 6-0 run for 17:9. Vytenis Cizauskas (189-G-92) drove a lay-up for 22:14 at the end of the period. Right after that time Serbia started to play better. Besovic tied it all at 26:26 and Nastic closed the run at 34:26. Redikas sent the squads to the lockers for 37:34 as Serbia won the frame at 23-12. Skucas later tied it at 43:43 and Bogdanovic brought the defending champions 52:49. Jakstas was the last to score in the end of the third frame for 56:51. Serbia deserved the win more and even increased to 66:53 when Bogdanovic made a jump shot. Whatever happened to the guests after they could blame themselves. An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes gave Lithuania the minimum lead that became the most improtant victory at the Championship. Skucas made one free throw in the last seconds to bring the win for Lithuania. Vytenis Cizauskas led the way with 15 points and Pukis netted 12. Skucas and Redikas followed them with 11 points each. Vujosevic ended up with 15 points in the losing effort. Siladi netted 14, while Nastic scored 10.
5-8 places
Greece - Poland 55-74
Poland qualified to the FIBA U19 European Championship as they won over Greece in the 5-8 classification games in U18 European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius. The Polish side needed 74:55 to play tomorrow for the 5th place. Ponitka opened the game from the perimeter and Gielo nailed three for 9:6. Poland never looked behind in the first quarter taking 16:13 advantage after the first 10 minutes. Melissaratos reduced to 20:17, while Karnowski increased for Poland at 31:21.The latter dominated the court in the frame and Ponitka closed the half at 39:27. The third quarter also belonged to the Polish side that stepped away from the opponents as Kwiatkowski scored for 50:38. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz (201-F-92) made a jump shot at the end of the third quarter as Poland enjoyed 55:40 advantage. Ponitka brought 60:40, while Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz scored for 64:49. Michalak nailed three for 72:49 and Sokolowski made the last two free throws for the final victory. Ponitka stepped up with 24 points for the winners. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz nailed 8, while Grochowski, Gielo and Karnowski netted 7 each. Antonakis finished the game with 13 points in the losing effort, while Melissaratos netted 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.

Croatia - France 67-61
Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year as they won the very important game. Croatia U18 produced a 67:61 triumph over France in the 5-8 classification round of the European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius. France, being the silver team last year started with a lay-up from Leon and Keita later scored for 10:9. He also closed the first period at 17:13. France continued to lead the game and Ceci increased to 25:15 in the start of the second quarter. Fauconnet scored for 32;19, while Gobert gave France the biggest lead at 36:23. Leon sent the squads to the lockers as France enjoyed 38:28 at the halftime. Croatia needed 11-0 run in the start of the third quarter for 39:38 advantage. After 21-10 in the frame Croatia grabbed 49:48 lead after three quarters. They never looked behind after and Ramljak nailed three for 62:52 lead midway through the last quarter. Deal was the last to score in the game, while Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year. Dario Saric (204-F/C-93) stepped up with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Katic notched 12, whilst Barac scored 9. Ceci finished the night with 19 points in the losing effort and Leon added 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.
9-10 place
Turkey - Slovenia 74-71
Turkey beat Slovenia in the last game for both teams at the U18 European Championship. Turkey needed 74:71 to finish on the 9th spot. Omic gave Slovenia the first lead and Hodzic nailed three for 7:6 in the opening tip. Omic scored six in a row for 17:9, while Besedic shocked Turkey for 27:10 after the first quarter. Korkmaz brought the winners to 25:38, while scored for 31:45. Omic closed the half at 47:31 as the teams disappeared in the lockers. The second half however belonged to the Turkish side that at first produced 20-10 in the third frame. Tekin reduced to 56:51 and Vasl gave Slovenia 57:51 after three quarters. Vardal tied it all at 63:63 and Korkmaz tasted already 66:65 with Turkey. Korkmaz nailed just one for 74:68 and Marko Pajic (204-F-92) hit the last shot in the game. Edge that exploded in the first game for the team with 35 points, this time nailed 20. Korkmaz posted 14, while Tekin and Geyik added 9 each. Omic ended up with 17 points and 11 rebounds in defeat as Slovenia is 10th this year. Marko Pajic collected 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Rupnik added 12.
11-12 place
Spain - Italy 84-59
Spain clinched the 11th spot at the U18 European Championship beating Italy in their last game. Spain U18 rolled over the Italian side 84:59 as the teams head home. Of course it was not the game for the spot the teams hoped before the start of the U18 European Championship. Usually both countries qualify to the elite eight, however this time both of them had to appear in the court for the 11-12 places. Italy won the opening tip 5:4, while Guerra gave Spain 9:5. The latter had 19:12, while Italy finished with 5-0 run for 19:17 after the first 10 minutes. Acosta scored for 21:17 and Ventura increased to 35:26. Spain finished the frame with 4-0 run and took 41:30 halftime advantage. Moreover Tomas stepped up for 45:30 and Guerra netted for 53:37. Spain won the third frame 24-12 and took 65:42 after three quarters. In the last frame both teams just killed the time as the result and the positions were already known. Creus nailed three at the very end as the teams finished the U18 European Championship in 2010. Pere Oriola (206-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points for the last win. Tomas netted 10, while Barrera scored 9. Montano ended up with 13 points in the losing effort and Ceron notched 9.
Group G
Sweden - Germany 49-78
Germany remains in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game. Germany started strong and scored the first 5 points in the game. Moreover they took 10:1 as Heckmann drove a lay-up. Kramer brought 18:6 and William Magarity (207-F-93) closed the opening quarter at 22:11. Wendt nailed three for 27:14, while Monninghoff increased to 34:17. Germany again limited Scandinavian team to just 11 points in a quarter for 46:22 halftime advantage. Gaddefors reduced to 49:26 and Taqi scored for 53:30. Breunig closed the three quarter at 60:34 as Germany could celebrate at that time. Kramer and Breunig opened the last stanza with the jump shots and Wendt gave them 66:38. Heckmann and Monninghoff notched from the perimeter and Heckmann brought 78:47. Nguyen made two free throws at the very end for the final score. Neumann and Monninghoff paced all the winners with 15 points each. Kramer collected 13 points and 11 rebounds. Gaddefors ended up with 10 points in the losing effort as Sweden fell at 2-3.Eriksson and William Magarity notched 9 points apiece in a loss. Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for another second place to remain in Division A.

Ukraine - Bulgaria 104-63
Ukraine U18 sent Bulgaria U18 to Division B thrashing them on Saturday at the U18 European Championship. Ukraine improved to 3-2 record after 104:63 win, while Bulgaria dropped to 1-4. Ukraine started offensively and grabbed 32-19 after the first quarter. Gospodinov scored for 51:33 and Marchenko increased to 56:41. Ukraine enjoyed 61:44 as the teams went to the lockers. Both squads nailed 15 points each in the third period as Ukraine held off the opponents. The last quarter became a nightmare for Bulgaria that could not match the winners. Motorchuk scored for 99:63 and Mishula nailed three for three-digit number on the board. Virastiuk closed the game from the perimeter for the final success. V'Yacheslav Bobrov (202-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Artamonov nailed 18 points. Krutous and Len delivered 15 points each in a win. Gospodinov responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Ivanov scored 11. Germany will remain in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game. Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for another second place to remain in Division A.



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  FINLAND   


Finland shock Israel, advance into Final - by Eurobasket News
Finland U18 - Israel U18 61:59
Finland entered the championship game at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off hosting Israel in the dramatic semifinal clash in Tel-Aviv tonight. Villematti Kopio (182-G-92) finished the game with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the winners. The victory automatically means Division A promotion for Finland. They will take on Czech Republic for the crown tomorrow.
The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Finland eked out a 15:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. Israel went on an 8:0 run to surge ahead midway through the second frame. The hosts posted a narrow 30:29 lead at halftime. Villematti Kopio opened the second half with five consecutive points to put Finland back in charge. But Israel quickly regained control as the seesaw action continued. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 44. Finland and Israel were leveled at 59 with just over a minute remaining. Vaenerberg and Kilian Cato (201-F/C-92) knocked down three points in the remaining seconds and Finland escaped with a narrow thrilling win at the end.
Osku Heinonen (194-F/G-92) accounted for 16 points for the winning team. Aleksi Koskinen (183-G-92) and Kilian Cato had 8 points each in the victory. Bar Timor (192-G-92, agency: Avi Zilberman) replied with 23 points for Israel. Guy Lavie (187-G-92) notched 9 points in defeat.

Finland U18: Villematti Kopio 18, Osku Heinonen 16, Aleksi Koskinen 8, Kilian Cato 8
Israel U18: Bar Timor 23, Guy Lavie 9


1.DIVISION: Andre Foreman still going strong - by Rauno Hurmalainen
American F Andre Foreman (198-F/G-69, college: Salisbury St.), 41, is still going strong. Foreman and FoKoPo (Forssa) have signed a 1-year-contract for coming 2010-11 season. Foreman started his international basketball career in Finland and at Forssa 1994-95, when he played on Alku roster. Then followed a couple of years in Sweden and finally 1999 back to Finland, where Foreman played in several teams 1999-2008. Foreman has won twice Finnish Championship and three times the Finnish Cup. FoKoPos Head Coach Ari Mikkola is anxious to get Foreman and a lot of experience on his Team roster.

KORISLIIGA: Head Coach Tom Westerholm - by Rauno Hurmalainen
Korihait (Uusikaupunki) has named Team GM Tom Westerholm, 38, as the new Head Coach. Westerholm will be assisted by Petri Helminen, 33, and Ville Vuorinen, 30.
Westerholm has coaching experience from earlier years with Korihait juniors and men. Korihait has also re-signed with C Jussi Kumpulainen (204-F-76) (7,1 ppg - 5,2 rpg last season) and SG Heikki Saaristo (190-G/F-83) (4,3 ppg). Kumpulainen will start his sixth season on Korihait roster and Saaristo his seventh season.

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  FRANCE   


Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship - by Eurobasket News
Croatia U18-France U18 67:61
Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year as they won the very important game. Croatia U18 produced a 67:61 triumph over France in the 5-8 classification round of the European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius.
France, being the silver team last year started with a lay-up from Theo Leon (178-G-92) and Keita later scored for 10:9. He also closed the first period at 17:13. France continued to lead the game and Thomas Ceci (197-G-92) increased to 25:15 in the start of the second quarter. Fauconnet scored for 32;19, while Gobert gave France the biggest lead at 36:23. Theo Leon sent the squads to the lockers as France enjoyed 38:28 at the halftime. Croatia needed 11-0 run in the start of the third quarter for 39:38 advantage. After 21-10 in the frame Croatia grabbed 49:48 lead after three quarters. They never looked behind after and Ramljak nailed three for 62:52 lead midway through the last quarter. Deal was the last to score in the game, while Croatia clinched the place at the U19 World Championship for the next year.
Dario Saric (204-F/C-93) stepped up with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Toni Katic (185-G-92) notched 12, whilst Boris Barac (204-F-92) scored 9. Thomas Ceci finished the night with 19 points in the losing effort and Theo Leon added 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.

Croatia U18: Dario Saric 18+8 rebs, Toni Katic 12, Boris Barac 9
France U18: Thomas Ceci 19, Theo Leon 10


Pro B : Nanterre inks William Daniels - by Aurelien Hipp
* To replace Zeb Cope in his roster, Coach Donnadieu inked William Daniels (203-F-86, college: Rhode Island) for one season. Daniels, coming from D-League (13.5ppg 4.7rpg) replacing there Amara Sy, also played in Greece (Kavala et Peristeri) and studied in Rhode Island (18.6ppg as a senior). Nanterre only changed 2 players in comparison to last season (Cope and Badiane out, Daniels and Passave in) and will be one of the strong teams of the division in 2010/11.

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  GEORGIA   


Georgia post first win in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Georgia U18 - Romania U18 71:56
Georgia snapped the losing skid and recorded the first win at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They outscored Romania in the final game of the tournament. Georgia thus clinched the 19th position in the ladder. Duda Sanadze (196-G-92) notched 18 points to pace Georgia.
The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Levan Eliadze (197-F-92) drained two triples late in the period to help Georgia accumulate a 13:9 lead. Levan Eliadze and Duda Sanadze tipped off the second stanza with five points in a row as Georgia boosted the lead. Georgia used a 9:0 run to take a 12-point advantage midway through the second quarter. Romania answered with 10 consecutive points to narrow the deficit at just 2 points at halftime 30:32. The teams stayed close in the third term. The lead changed for several times before Georgia pulled in front 50:44 with ten minutes to go. Georgia ignited a 7:0 rally in the final period to pile up an 11-point buffer midway through the stanza. Levan Eliadze soon gave a 20-point for Georgia and they never looked back en route to the victory. Levan Eliadze finished with 15 points for Georgia. Nodar Tenieshvili (198-F-92) notched 13 points in the victory. Horia Cristiean (183-G-93) answered with 14 points for Romania. Aurelian Toth (210-C-92) added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Georgia U18: Duda Sanadze 18, Levan Eliadze 15, Nodar Tenieshvili 13
Romania U18: Horia Cristiean 14, Aurelian Toth 11


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  GERMANY   


Germany remains in the top Division for the next year - by Eurobasket News
Sweden U18-Germany U18 49:78
Germany remains in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game.
Germany started strong and scored the first 5 points in the game. Moreover they took 10:1 as Heckmann drove a lay-up. Dennis Kramer (209-F-92) brought 18:6 and William Magarity (207-F-93) closed the opening quarter at 22:11. Wendt nailed three for 27:14, while Mathis Monninghoff (199-G-92) increased to 34:17. Germany again limited Scandinavian team to just 11 points in a quarter for 46:22 halftime advantage. Viktor Gaddefors (200-F-92) reduced to 49:26 and Taqi scored for 53:30. Breunig closed the three quarter at 60:34 as Germany could celebrate at that time. Dennis Kramer and Breunig opened the last stanza with the jump shots and Wendt gave them 66:38. Heckmann and Mathis Monninghoff notched from the perimeter and Heckmann brought 78:47. Nguyen made two free throws at the very end for the final score.
Philipp Neumann (210-C-92) and Mathis Monninghoff paced all the winners with 15 points each. Dennis Kramer collected 13 points and 11 rebounds. Viktor Gaddefors ended up with 10 points in the losing effort as Sweden fell at 2-3.Marcus Eriksson (196-G-93) and William Magarity notched 9 points apiece in a loss.
Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for another second place to remain in Division A.

Sweden U18: Viktor Gaddefors 10, Marcus Eriksson 9, William Magarity 9
Germany U18: Philipp Neumann 15+11 rebs, Mathis Monninghoff 15, Dennis Kramer 13+11 rebs

The Nordlingen Giants Find Scoring And Playmaking With Brandon Kimbrough - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The Nordlingen Giants have completed their roster for the 2010-2011 by signing Brandon Kimbrough (188-G-84, college: Drury) to a contract. Kimbrough is a 25 year old 188cm combo guard that was born in Springfield, Missouri and where he visited Glendale high school. Last season, he played in England for the Manchester Magic (United Kingdom-EBL, starting five): 17 games: 21.8ppg, 5.8rpg, Assists-1 (6.5apg), 1.8spg, 2FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 33.6%, FT: 79.7%. Here he was able to convince the Giants that he can score and find his players in scoring position. Last season for Manchester he was a British National Trophy Finalist and British EBL Division One Champion. He played at Drury (NCAA') from 2005-2007. At Drury, he played all 78 games and shot 55% from the field.















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  GREECE   


Poland qualified to the FIBA U19 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Greece U18-Poland U18 55:74
Poland qualified to the FIBA U19 European Championship as they won over Greece in the 5-8 classification games in U18 European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius. The Polish side needed 74:55 to play tomorrow for the 5th place.
Mateusz Ponitka (196-G-93) opened the game from the perimeter and Tomasz Gielo (204-F-93) nailed three for 9:6. Poland never looked behind in the first quarter taking 16:13 advantage after the first 10 minutes. Petros Melissaratos (202-C/F-93) reduced to 20:17, while Przemyslaw Karnowski (213-C-93) increased for Poland at 31:21.The latter dominated the court in the frame and Mateusz Ponitka closed the half at 39:27. The third quarter also belonged to the Polish side that stepped away from the opponents as Kwiatkowski scored for 50:38. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz (201-F-92) made a jump shot at the end of the third quarter as Poland enjoyed 55:40 advantage. Mateusz Ponitka brought 60:40, while Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz scored for 64:49. Michalak nailed three for 72:49 and Sokolowski made the last two free throws for the final victory.
Mateusz Ponitka stepped up with 24 points for the winners. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz nailed 8, while Grzegorz Grochowski (176-G-93), Tomasz Gielo and Przemyslaw Karnowski netted 7
each. Anastasios Antonakis (204-C/F-92) finished the game with 13 points in the losing effort, while Petros Melissaratos netted 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.

Greece U18: Anastasios Antonakis 13, Petros Melissaratos 10
Poland U18: Mateusz Ponitka 24, Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz 8, Grzegorz Grochowski 7, Tomasz Gielo 7, Przemyslaw Karnowski 7



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  HOLLAND   


Belarus bump Netherlands in Israel - by Eurobasket News
Belarus U18 - Netherlands U18 68:56
Belarus overcame Netherlands at the U18 European championship in Division B today. The victory allowed Siarhei Varyvodau team to fight for the ninth overall position tomorrow. Belarus will take on the winners of Austria vs. Switzerland clash.
Netherlands quickly opened the game and led for some time throughout the starting period. But Belarus capped the term with 12:4 rally to take a 22:18 advantage. Netherlands grabbed the lead back midway through the second term but not for too long. Murashka hit a three-pointer to ignite a 13:0 run that put Belarus back in charge 43:31. They led by 8 points at halftime 43:35. Belarus did not allow their opponents any closer in the third quarter registering a 57:43 lead with ten minutes to go. Burger and Ivan Filipan (192-F-92) narrowed the gap to 8 points midway through the fourth term but Belarus stayed calm and sealed the winning outcome at the end.
Yauheni Suhaniaka (200-F-92) had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Belarus. Vitali Liutych (198-G/F-92) and Henadziy Zakhar (198-F-92) notched 12 points each in the victory. Benjamin Jegen (92) responded with 14 points for Netherlands. Ivan Filipan accounted for 12 points in the loss.

Belarus U18: Yauheni Suhaniaka 13+13 boards, Vitali Liutych 12, Henadziy Zakhar 12
Netherlands U18: Benjamin Jegen 14, Ivan Filipan 12


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  HUNGARY   


Hungary prevail against Denmark in Israel - by Eurobasket News
Hungary U18 - Denmark U18 70:61
Hungary will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Denmark today to set up the clash against Scotland. Denmark will wrap up their campaign against Luxembourg. Balazs Kerpel-Fronius (193-G/F-92) scored 17 points to pace Hungary.
Denmark got to the better start. They were up by 8 points midway through the starting quarter 12:4. Denmark won the opening frame 19:15. Kevin Larsen (204-F-93) stretched the gap t0 8 points at the start of the second frame. Kevin Larsen soon opened a double-digit advantage for the Danish team. Hungary cut the margin but still trailed by 7 points at halftime 31:38. Hungary pulled even closer in the third stanza but Denmark did not their opponents to surge in front. The Scandinavians earned a 49:45 advantage at the final intermission. Hungary tipped off the fourth quarter with a 7:1 run to jump ahead. The teams traded baskets for some time before Adam Varga (190-G-92) and Balazs Kerpel-Fronius exploded with three straight trebles to win the game for Hungary.
Laszlo Dobos (216-C-93, agency: FCM) finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Hungary. Adam Varga had 8 points in the loss. Kevin Larsen replied with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Denmark. Soren Dossing (185-G-92) produced 8 points in the loss.

Hungary U18: Balazs Kerpel-Fronius 17, Laszlo Dobos 16+12 boards, Adam Varga 8
Denmark U18: Kevin Larsen 27, Soren Dossing 8


Market news - by Tamas Deri
Georgy Cseh (208-F-87) decided to leave Szolnok and agreed with Kecskemet for two seasons. The management of KKSE is trying to build up a young and strong hungarian roster for the next seasons and Cseh hopes to get more minutes on the court as he got in Szolnok. The 208 cm tall, 23 years old foward averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7 minutes.
Richard Meszaros (199-F/G-79) is moving back to the first division after spending many years in the second. The 199 cm tall, 31 years old wingman spent several seasons with ZTE KK and played for Pecs in the first division during the season 2003-04. After that season he moved to Jaszbereny, where he spent six seasons in the 2nd league. He signed for one year with Salgotarjan.
Laszlo Czigler (215-C-71, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) is moving to Nyiregyhaza! The hungarian big man signed a two years contract with NYKK and will play again with his friend, Erno Sitku. The 39 years old 7feeter spent the last 3 season in Pecs, llast season he averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.5 minutes.
Anthony Fisher (191-G-83, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) might be the new point guard of PVSK! The american guard graduated on the University of Tennessee Tech and had a great senior season averaging 17.1ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.6apg, 1.5spg. He signed his first professional contract with Gmunden in Austria and was invited to the anniversary All-Star game. He played 5 games in the Eurochallenge averaging 14.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.6apg and 40 games in the austrian Bundesliga: 15.8ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.1apg, 2FGP: 59.1%, 3PT: 33.8%, FT: 76.8%. After his great rookie season in Europe he signed in February 2010 with Skyliners Frankfurt but played only 5 games.
Obie Trotter (186-G-84, agency: Court Side, college: Alabama A&M) signed a one-year contract with Eurochallenge team Szolnoki Olaj KK. The american point guard graduated on Alabama A&M in 2006 and was a key player of his team as a senior: 19.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 4.4apg, 3.3spg, FG: 41.9%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 77%. He signed his first professional contract with Giessen in Germany and averaged 10.9ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.8apg in 32 games of the Bundesliga. He spent one more season with Giessen before signing with Brest in PRO B France after his injury in January 2009. He played 18 games and helped his team with 9.1ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.0apg, 1.9spg. He spent the last season with TOPO Helsinki and got voted to the 'Guard of the year' in Finland. In 55 games he averaged 19.7ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.7apg, 2.8spg.
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Polaroid Lami-Ved Kormend will keep Istvan Nemeth - by Eurobasket
Polaroid Lami-Ved Kormend strengthened re-signing 31-year old domestic guard Istvan Nemeth (190-G-79, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services). Nemeth played most recently at Carife Ferrara (Italy), when in February moved to Polaroid Lami-Ved. While playing 8 games for Kormend his stats were: 7.5ppg, 3.1rpg and 1.8apg. Nemeth is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Greece, Italy, Poland, Serbia and Spain.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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  ISRAEL   


Ironi Ashkelon sign Erez Marckovich - by Eurobasket
Ironi Ashkelon agreed terms with 32-year old domestic center Erez Marckovich (207-C-78, agency: Avi Zilberman). Marckovich played most recently at Hapoel Holon (Premier L.). While playing 8 games for Hapoel Holon last season his stats were: 4.1ppg and 2.1rpg. Marckovich is a very experienced player.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Elitzur Ramla sign Keena Young - by Eurobasket
Elitzur Ramla (National League) signed 25-year old American forward Keena Young (198-F-85, college: BYU). Young played most recently at Air21 Express (Philippines). Young played also pro basketball in Kosovo, Belgium and France. Two years ago he won Kosovo League Championship and was selected to the All-Star Game. It will be his 4th professional season.

By Eurobasket Data Center



Finland shock Israel, advance into Final - by Eurobasket News
Finland U18 - Israel U18 61:59
Finland entered the championship game at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off hosting Israel in the dramatic semifinal clash in Tel-Aviv tonight. Villematti Kopio (182-G-92) finished the game with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the winners. The victory automatically means Division A promotion for Finland. They will take on Czech Republic for the crown tomorrow.
The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Finland eked out a 15:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. Israel went on an 8:0 run to surge ahead midway through the second frame. The hosts posted a narrow 30:29 lead at halftime. Villematti Kopio opened the second half with five consecutive points to put Finland back in charge. But Israel quickly regained control as the seesaw action continued. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 44. Finland and Israel were leveled at 59 with just over a minute remaining. Vaenerberg and Kilian Cato (201-F/C-92) knocked down three points in the remaining seconds and Finland escaped with a narrow thrilling win at the end.
Osku Heinonen (194-F/G-92) accounted for 16 points for the winning team. Aleksi Koskinen (183-G-92) and Kilian Cato had 8 points each in the victory. Bar Timor (192-G-92, agency: Avi Zilberman) replied with 23 points for Israel. Guy Lavie (187-G-92) notched 9 points in defeat.

Finland U18: Villematti Kopio 18, Osku Heinonen 16, Aleksi Koskinen 8, Kilian Cato 8
Israel U18: Bar Timor 23, Guy Lavie 9


Maccabi Rishon gets former MSU star Raymar Morgan - by David Pick
American power forward, Raymar Morgan (2.03-PF-88), will join the Israeli club fresh out of Michigan State. Raymar Morgan was born August 8, 1988 in Canton, Ohio. Morgan attended Canton McKinley high school and then went on to play for four years under coach Tom Izzo in MSU. Raymar went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft and couldn't get an NBA contract after playing for the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Summer League (except for one game which he scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in 29 minutes, he did not get many opportunities to show his ability). In Morgans second college season (2007-2008) he excelled with 14 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 27 minutes per game. In his last season as a Spartan he averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

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  ITALY   


Andorra clinch Bronze at U16 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Andorra U16 - San Marino U16 86:54
Andorra stepped on the podium at the U16 European Championship in Division C. The hosts outscored San Marino in the consolation final to clinch the third position. Pau Gracia scored 14 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to lead Andorra.
Andorra stunned their opponents in the opening frame. The home team exploded with 30 points in the first ten minutes to accumulate a 21-point advantage. The gap just kept on growing in the second frame. Andorra arrived at the big break up by 26 points 51:25. San Marino could not recover in the third stanza. They trailed by 28 points with ten minutes to go. Andorra opened the fourth term with 4 points in a row and never looked back en route to the win.
Jordi De La Rosa and Marc Roca notched 13 points each for Andorra. Oriol Serra netted 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the winners. Lorenzo Guerra answered with 19 points for San Marino. Julian Gualtieri had 10 points and 9 caroms in the loss.

Andorra U16: Pau Gracia 14, Jordi De La Rosa 13, Marc Roca 13
San Marino U16: Lorenzo Guerra 19, Julian Gualtieri 10


Spain clinched the 11th spot at the U18 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18-Italy U18 84:59
Spain clinched the 11th spot at the U18 European Championship beating Italy in their last game. Spain U18 rolled over the Italian side 84:59 as the teams head home.
Of course it was not the game for the spot the teams hoped before the start of the U18 European Championship. Usually both countries qualify to the elite eight, however this time both of them had to appear in the court for the 11-12 places.
Italy won the opening tip 5:4, while Guerra gave Spain 9:5. The latter had 19:12, while Italy finished with 5-0 run for 19:17 after the first 10 minutes. Acosta scored for 21:17 and Ventura increased to 35:26. Spain finished the frame with 4-0 run and took 41:30 halftime advantage. Moreover Joan Tomas (201-F-92) stepped up for 45:30 and Guerra netted for 53:37. Spain won the third frame 24-12 and took 65:42 after three quarters. In the last frame both teams just killed the time as the result and the positions were already known. Creus nailed three at the very end as the teams finished the U18 European Championship in 2010.
Pere Oriola (206-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points for the last win. Joan Tomas netted 10, while Alejandro Barrera (199-F/C-92) scored 9. Matteo Montano (183-G-92) ended up with 13 points in the losing effort and Marco Ceron (192-G-92) notched 9.

Spain U18: Pere Oriola 19, Joan Tomas 10, Alejandro Barrera 9
Italy U18: Matteo Montano 13, Marco Ceron 9

Virtus Bologna tab Giuseppe Poeta - by Eurobasket News
Virtus Bologna tab Giuseppe Poeta (190-G-85) as the latter signed three-year deal with his new team. The Italian players started for Salerno (B2) and then played for Prima Veroli (B1) and Siviglia Wear Teramo (SerieA). In 2008-2009 moved to Banca Tercas Teramo and played there for two seasons. In the first one after 33 games he averaged 14.2ppg, 2.3rpg, Assists-2 (4.2apg), 2.5spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 77.9%. In 2009-2010 for Banca Tercas Teramo (SerieA, starting five) in EuroCup after 8 games his stats read 9.3ppg, 1.4rpg, 4.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 36.7%, 3PT: 24.0%. In Italian League after 27 games he showed 10.8ppg, 2.2rpg, Assists-3 (4.4apg), 1.7spg, FGP: 42.4%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 75.2%.
Last year he recorded 15 points in the start of EuroCup, while APOEL beat Banca Tercas 77:63, however Italian team responded in Game 2.
In the Regular Season Round 9 Banca Tercas prevailed against Air Avellino 98:78 at home court. Giuseppe Poeta fired 26 points and issued 7 assists to lead Banca Tercas to impressive success. Booby Jones and Valerio Amoroso added 14 points each in the win. Dee Brown answered with 21 points for Air Avellino.
For his Awards/Achievements it is a must to mention that he was Italian U20 National Team -03-04 and Italian National Team -07-10. Giuseppe Poeta was named Eurobasket.com All-Italian SerieA Most Improved Player of the Year -08 and Eurobasket.com Italian SerieA All-Domestic Players Team -08, 09. In 2008 participated at the Qualifications to European Championships 2009 and in 8 games averaged 10.9ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 87.5%. Last season he was named Eurobasket.com All-Italian SerieA Domestic Player of the Year -09 and Eurobasket.com All-Italian SerieA Honorable Mention -09.


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  JAMAICA   


Jamaica beats Panama for fifth place in Mayaguez - by Eurobasket News
CAC Games, Fifth place: PANAMA - JAMAICA 64-83

Jamaica closed this event with two straight wins. It means that Jamaicans ended as No.5 in Mayaguez, despite poor 0-2 in Preliminary Round. On the other side, Panama ended as the sixth ranked team. They registered just one win at this event. Andre Smith (188-G-80, college: NC-Asheville) was on fire for Jamaica with 28 points. He reached valuation 27 and was the MVP of this meeting. Garfield Johns (193-G-85, college: Utah) had 19 and Terrell Christie (193-G-83, college: S.Alabama) added 11 pts. In Panama, Josimar Ayarza (203-F-87) shined with 26 points and 6 boards. Desmond Smith (199-F-86, college: William & Mary) had 14 points and 6 rebs, while Ernesto Oglivie (199-F-89, agency: DR. Carlos Sifuentes) added 10 pts and 5 rebs.
Second and third quarter were the crucial ones in this game. Before that, first ten minutes ended with 17-17 tie. Andre Smith and his teammates exploded for rest of the first half making 30-38 lead. They continued in the same rhythm after that and Panama was in deep trouble. Jamaicans drained 26 points in third quarter, while limiting their rivals to 16. It means that Jamaica was huge 18-points up was looking good. Last ten minutes were just the formality and Jamaica celebrated nice 64-83 for fifth place in Mayaguez.

Panama: Josimar Ayarza 26+6 boards, Desmond Smith 14+6 boards, Ernesto Oglivie 10+5 boards
Jamaica: Andre Smith 28, Garfield Johns 19, Terrell Christie 11



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  JAPAN   


Saitama Broncos add Klaiber and Brown to their roster - by Eurobasket
Saitama Broncos (BJ League) strengthened their roster with addition of 27-year old Guyanese-American forward Gordon Klaiber (206-F-83, college: Fairleigh Dickinson) (206-F-83, college: Fairleigh Dickinson) and American center Bruce Brown (213-C-83, college: Hampton). Klaiber played most recently at Albany Legends (IBL) in the U.S. helping them to win IBL championship. While playing 20 games for Albany L. last season his stats were: 19.5ppg and 7.5rpg. He was selected USBasket.com All-IBL Forward of the Year and to USBasket.com All-IBL 1st Team. laiber is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Argentina, Hungary and Venezuela. Brown is not newcomer to Asia as he played recently at Al Moutahed Tripoli in Lebanon (24ppg, 17rpg) after ending very successful season in Bulgaria. While playing in Bulgarian league for Chernomorets Burgas Brown averaged 16.6ppg, 8.7rpg (2nd best in the league) and lead league in blocks with 1.4bpg. He was also selected Eurobasket.com All-Bulgarian League Defensive Player of the Year and made it to Eurobasket.com All-Bulgarian League 1st Team and Eurobasket.com Bulgarian League All-Imports Team.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Tokyo Apache shape up roster - by Eurobasket News
Tokyo Apache continued to shape up their roster for the upcoming season. After signing Jeremy Tyler the team finalized the deals with four more players. Tokyo Apache have agreed on terms of contracts with Michael Chappell (205-F/G-78, college: Michigan St.), Osamu Kimura (185-G-82), Reina Itakura (192-F-81) and Tanaka Kensuke (187-G-85).
Michael Chappell signed a one-year deal with the team. Last season the 32-year-old guard averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for Tokyo Apache. Previously Michael Chappell had stints in Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Lebanon and Ukraine.
Osamu Kimura appeared in ten games for Tokyo Apache in the previous season. He tallied 2.0 points and 1.1 boards in those appearances.
Reina Itakura played 54 games for Apache in the last season. The 29-year-old forward came up with 4.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.
Tanaka Kensuke averaged 1.0 point per game in four appearances for Tokyo Apache in the previous championship.


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  LATVIA   


Russia destroyed Latvia for the big Final in Vilnius - by Eurobasket News
Latvia U18-Russia U18 42:73
Russia destroyed Latvia for the big Final in Vilnius at the U18 European Championship. The Russian side separated the Baltic Final smashing Latvia 73:42 in the last game on Saturday.
Andrey Loginov (204-F-93) made the first jump shot for the winners, while Latvia bounced back with 6-0 run. Tikhonin and Apsitis exchanged the leads and Bekkiev tied the quarter at 11:11. The score was tied four times in the second period, while Russia finished the half with 8-0 run for 28:23 halftime advantage. In the second half the court was dominated only by one team that played awesome both in defense and offense. Russia reached 47:33 as Sergey Karasev (200-F-93) closed the third period in the game. In the last quarter Russia limited the opponents to just 9 points and easily won the semifinal. Vladislav Trushkin (200-F-93) made the last jump shot in the game for the final success.
Sergey Karasev paced all the winners with 16 points for the big Final. Vladislav Trushkin netted 13, while Andrey Loginov collected 12 points and 14 rebounds. Davis Bertans (200-F-92) responded with 12 points and Janis Timma (198-F-92) poured in 9.
Tomorrow Russia will face Lithuania in the Final as an unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifted the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated.

Latvia U18: Davis Bertans 12, Janis Timma 9
Russia U18: Sergey Karasev 16, Vladislav Trushkin 13, Andrey Loginov 12+14 rebs

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  LITHUANIA   


An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifts the hosts to the Final - by Eurobasket News
Lithuania U18-Serbia U18 67:66

An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifts the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated.
Lithuania started as it was expected and reached 4-0 in the opening tip. Bogic Vujosevic (189-G-92) reduced to 11:9, while the hists created a 6-0 run for 17:9. Vytenis Cizauskas (189-G-92) drove a lay-up for 22:14 at the end of the period. Right after that time Serbia started to play better. Besovic tied it all at 26:26 and Stefan Nastic (210-C-92) closed the run at 34:26. Dovydas Redikas (193-G-92) sent the squads to the lockers for 37:34 as Serbia won the frame at 23-12. Zygimantas Skucas (200-F-92) later tied it at 43:43 and Bogdanovic brought the defending champions 52:49. Jakstas was the last to score in the end of the third frame for 56:51. Serbia deserved the win more and even increased to 66:53 when Bogdanovic made a jump shot. Whatever happened to the guests after they could blame themselves. An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes gave Lithuania the minimum lead that became the most improtant victory at the Championship. Zygimantas Skucas made one free throw in the last seconds to bring the win for Lithuania.
Vytenis Cizauskas led the way with 15 points and Deividas Pukis (193-G/F-92) netted 12. Zygimantas Skucas and Dovydas Redikas followed them with 11 points each. Bogic Vujosevic ended up with 15 points in the losing effort. Nikola Siladi (206-F-92) netted 14, while Stefan Nastic scored 10.
Lithuania U18: Vytenis Cizauskas 15, Deividas Pukis 12, Zygimantas Skucas 11, Dovydas Redikas 11
Serbia U18: Bogic Vujosevic 15, Nikola Siladi 14, Stefan Nastic 10



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  LUXEMBOURG   


Scotland edge Luxembourg in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Scotland U18 - Luxembourg U18 70:45
Scotland will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Luxembourg in the classification round today. Alasdair Fraser (201-C-92) was unstoppable with 33 points and 20 rebounds for the Scottish team.
Alasdair Fraser knocked down 10 points in the starting frame to give Scotland a 17:14 lead. Scotland used a 13:2 run in the second quarter to boost the margin to 15 points. Alasdair Fraser capped the half with a lay-up as Scotland posted a 41:24 advantage. Alasdair Fraser notched 7 points in a row as the gap grew at 24-point mark. Luxembourg could not recover as they trailed by as many as 26 points heading into the fourth quarter. Scotland opened the fourth frame with seven points in a row and never looked back en route to the victory.
Alasdair Fraser Glass (190-G-92) and Lee Reilly (182-G-92) notched 6 points each for the winners. Alex Laurent (195-C-93) responded with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Eric steffen (183-G-92) and Max Schmit (182-G-92) had 7 points each in the loss. Scotland will take on the winners of Denmark vs. Hungary clash. Luxembourg will face the losing side in the clash for the 15th place tomorrow.

Scotland U18: Alasdair Fraser 33+20 boards, Alasdair Fraser Glass 6, Lee Reilly 6
Luxembourg U18: Alex Laurent 18+11 boards, Eric steffen 7, Max Schmit 7


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  MALTA   


Wales edge Malta to finish fifth in Andorra - by Eurobasket News
Wales U16 - Malta U16 53:37
Wales clinched the fifth place at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They knocked down Malta on the final day of the tournament in Andorra. Jacob Lloyd came up with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists to pace the Welsh team.
Wales limited their opponents to just 6 points in the opening quarter to surge in front. They enjoyed a 12:6 lead ten minutes into the game. Malta were able to narrow the deficit at 3-point mark late in the second term but Jacob Lloyd and Sumiullah Khan ensured a 24:17 lead for Wales at halftime. Wales opened the third term on a 7:2 run to stay in charge. They rallied to a 39:25 advantage at the final break. Wales maintained the lead throughout the fourth quarter. Their defense worked smoothly as Malta scored just 12 points in the period and lost the battle.
Sumuillah Khan had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Tomos Williams and Nicholas Rothwell had 8 points apiece in the victory. Aaron Falzon tallied 14 points and 28 rebounds for Malta. Nikola Andrejevic came up with 6 points in the loss.

Wales U16: Jacob Lloyd 19+10 boards, Sumiullah Khan 10, Tomos Williams 8, Nicholas Rothwell 8
Malta U16: Aaron Falzon 14+28 boards, Nikola Andrejevic 6


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  MEXICO   


CAC Games: Mexico fails in the Big Final against Puerto Rico - by Eurobasket News
CAC Games, Big Final: MEXICO - PUERTO RICO 77-82

Puerto Rico won the Gold in Mayaguez. The host of CAC Games was better than Mexico in the Big Final to finish as No.1. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, college: Florida Intern.) (6 as) and Nathan Peavy (203-F-85, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Miami (OH)) scored 16 points each for the winners, while Renaldo Balkman (201-F-84, agency: Buck Andre, college: S.Carolina) had double-double of 14 pts and 16 boards. Daniel Santiago (216-C-76, agency: Priority Sports, college: N.Mexico) helped with 13 pts. On the other side, Jovan Harris (191-G/F-81, college: USF) replied with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for Mexico. Orlando Mendez-Valdez (185-G-86, college: W.Kentucky) had 16 and Victor Mariscal (198-F-72) scored four points less than him. Mexico ended as No.2 and won the Silver in Mayaguez.
First quarter was pretty leveled and teams exchanged in lead. Neither was able to make a bigger plus and Puerto Rico ended Q1 with 20-21. They took full control on their rivals in the second period scoring 21 points once again. Mexico was limited to just 9 and faced with 29-42 deficit at the halftime. Mexicans improved after the breather finishing third frame with 18-14, but they needed a way more. Carlos Arroyo and his teammates intensified defense in the last ten minutes to keep their lead. They scored just 10 points, but on the other side Mexico had 11 what was not enough them. At the end, Puerto Rico celebrated 77-82 victory and the Gold medal Mayaguez.

Mexico: Jovan Harris 25+9 boards+5 as, Orlando Mendez-Valdez 16, Victor Mariscal 12
Puerto Rico: Carlos Arroyo 16+6 as, Nathan Peavy 16, Renaldo Balkman 14+16 boards, Daniel Santiago 13



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  MONTENEGRO   


Czech Republic win semifinal, promotion to Division A - by Eurobasket News
Czech Republic U18 - Montenegro U18 56:54
Czech Republic are the first finalists of the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Montenegro in the first semifinal of the day. Thus Czech Republic got promoted to Division A for the next edition of the tournament.
The lead changed hands for several times throughout the tense first quarter. Czech Republic eked out a 17:15 lead ten minutes into the game. Montenegro opened the second frame with six points in a row to pull ahead. Radosav Spasojevic (204-F-92) and Grabovica gave the Balkan side a 31:22 lead midway through the second term. However trebles from Honomichl and Jaromir Bohacik (198-F-92) allowed Czech Republic to trail by just five points at halftime 28:33. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Montenegro did not surrender the lead as they posted a 45:38 advantage before the final quarter. Nemanja Djurisic (202-F-92) opened an 11-point lead for Montenegro at the start of the fourth stanza. But Kriz and Tomas Vyoral (190-G-92) organized a 16:2 run that put Czech Republic in front 55:52 with 17 seconds remaining. Radosav Spasojevic converted a lay-up to drag Montenegro closer but Tomas Vyoral hit a free throw to keep Czech Republic in charge. Grabovica had a chance to save the game for Montenegro but his desperate three-pointer went off mark.
Tomas Vyoral knocked down 16 points to pace Czech Republic. Jan Svejda (202-F-92) added 13 points in the win. Radosav Spasojevic netted 18 points for Montenegro. Nemanja Djurisic had 13 points in defeat.

Czech Republic U18: Tomas Vyoral 16, Jan Svejda 13, Jaromir Bohacik 9
Montenegro U18: Radosav Spasojevic 18, Nemanja Djurisic 13


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  NEW ZEALAND   


Henare leads Academy to win - by Mike Lacey
The Breakers Academy secured a hard earned 87-82 victory over Northside in the fourth round of the Supercity Basketball Competition at Atlas Place on Saturday. The Academy team were boosted by the appearance of Paul Henare (182-G-79), the club stalwart working his way back to full fitness after a long injury lay off.
The Breakers established an early 15-7 advantage, Brad Anderson breaking away for three easy layups courtesy of steals by his teammates to stretch the first quarter advantage to 24-19.
Northside edged the second quarter 21-19 but the Breakers still held the advantage despite captain Sam King being forced to the bench in foul trouble. Adam Dunstan scored six points in the period and the Breakers led 43-40 at half time.
Northside made a series of runs at the home team in the second half but the Breakers were able to absorb every surge and make crucial baskets at critical times. Henare marshaled the young troops with real authority claiming 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 14 points and was ably assisted by top scorer Anderson (28 points), Morgan Nathan (13 points and 9 rebounds) and Dunstan (12 points). Marco Alexander (21 points) and Cam Stuart (15 points) were the best for Northside.


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  NIGERIA   


Alabi, Thabeet, Other stars storm Nigeria for Bigman Camp - by Olusegun Ikuesan
New kid on the block Nigeria center Solomon Alabi will make a dramatic appearance at this years Bigman Camp which begin in Lagos, Nigeria today.
The camp which will run through Monday before Alabi and other stars who will grace the occasion depart fro Dakar, Senegal to attend this years NBA/FIBA Basketball Without Border will also has Hasheem Thabeet alongside other basketball stars at the 3-Day Bigman.
The camp put together by former Nigeria international guard and Toronto Raptors Assistant General Manager, Masai Ujiri will take place at the sports hall of the national stadium, Lagos, Nigeria.
According to the programme of event released by Ujiri, kit would be distributed to the players in the morning of Saturday as orientation would be given to them on how they are expected to conduct themselves in camp.
New NBA draft, Nigerias Solomon Alabi, Hasheem Thabeet and former Nigerian international, Obinna Ekezie will take the players through the full court rudiments.
And on Sunday, the players would be taken through the drills and basic fundamental work; stretch and warm ups while Patrick Engelbrecht would handle the full court rudiment. Thabeet, Alabi and National Basketball Association Director in-charge of Africa Amadou Gallo Fall from Senegal would team up with the rest of the instructors for the afternoon session where the players would be taught basic life skills.
A media session is schedule for Monday where the Nigeria media would have opportunity of interacting with Alabi, a 2006 champion of the FIBA Africa Championship for U18 Men in Durban, South Africa and others.
Alabi (Toronto Raptors), Thabeet (Grizzlies), Jay Triano (Raptors), Fall, Ujiri (Raptors) and President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar at Lagoon Restaurant in Lagos.
Alabi, who just signed a three-year contract with the Raptors, finished his college season averaging 11.7 points, 6, 7 rebounds and shot 80 percent from the free throw line for Florida State University.

Ujiri says the Bigman Camp has afforded him the opportunity to work with kids that have taken part in the event for six years. He promised that this years event, like previous ones, would have appreciable impact on the players.

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  PANAMA   


Jamaica beats Panama for fifth place in Mayaguez - by Eurobasket News
CAC Games, Fifth place: PANAMA - JAMAICA 64-83

Jamaica closed this event with two straight wins. It means that Jamaicans ended as No.5 in Mayaguez, despite poor 0-2 in Preliminary Round. On the other side, Panama ended as the sixth ranked team. They registered just one win at this event. Andre Smith (188-G-80, college: NC-Asheville) was on fire for Jamaica with 28 points. He reached valuation 27 and was the MVP of this meeting. Garfield Johns (193-G-85, college: Utah) had 19 and Terrell Christie (193-G-83, college: S.Alabama) added 11 pts. In Panama, Josimar Ayarza (203-F-87) shined with 26 points and 6 boards. Desmond Smith (199-F-86, college: William & Mary) had 14 points and 6 rebs, while Ernesto Oglivie (199-F-89, agency: DR. Carlos Sifuentes) added 10 pts and 5 rebs.
Second and third quarter were the crucial ones in this game. Before that, first ten minutes ended with 17-17 tie. Andre Smith and his teammates exploded for rest of the first half making 30-38 lead. They continued in the same rhythm after that and Panama was in deep trouble. Jamaicans drained 26 points in third quarter, while limiting their rivals to 16. It means that Jamaica was huge 18-points up was looking good. Last ten minutes were just the formality and Jamaica celebrated nice 64-83 for fifth place in Mayaguez.

Panama: Josimar Ayarza 26+6 boards, Desmond Smith 14+6 boards, Ernesto Oglivie 10+5 boards
Jamaica: Andre Smith 28, Garfield Johns 19, Terrell Christie 11



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  PARAGUAY   


Paraguay outguns Ecuador with ease - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Places 5-8: ECUADOR - PARAGUAY 45-89

As expected, Paraguay had an easy job against Ecuador celebrating 45-89 victory. It was just a first step forward to fifth place by Ecuador, who will have to beat Colombia in order to win that spot. Ecuador will play against Chile and will try to avoid the last place in Neiva. So far they registered poor 0-4. Jose Fabio (198-F-77) came up with double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds in Paraguay. Bruno Zanotti (197-F-82, college: Merrimack) (6 as) and Gustavo Torres (175-G-80) also helped their team with 19 points each. Daniel Perez (190-G/F-84) and Sergio Lopez (189-G/F-86) (5 rebs, 5 as) added 11 and 10 points respectively. In defeat, Jose Vicente Diaz (196-F-75) delivered 11 points. Nixon Mina (F-90) had 9 pts and 16 rebounds.
Ecuador managed to resist only in the first quarter, which still belonged to Paraguay 19-21. Jose Fabio and his teammates destroyed Ecuador with 8-23 for the next ten minutes already making comfortable lead. After the breather, Paraguay continued to dominate. They closed third period with 11-23 and question about the winner was resolved. Ecuador was not able to respond in the last ten minutes, which Paraguay finished with 7-22. At the and, it was a 45-89 blowout win by Paraguay.

Ecuador: Jose Vicente Diaz 11, Nixon Mina 9+16 boards
Paraguay: Jose Fabio 19+13 boards, Bruno Zanotti 19+6 as, Gustavo Torres 19, Daniel Perez 11, Sergio Lopez 10+5 boards+5 as



1st Juventud de Amrica results. First round - by Santiago Maciel
This have been the final scores from last four days of competition among these 5 teams under 15 yuears of age representing their own countries.
This is the first edition of this very interesting tournament with the presence of many south american teams.
Paraguay has 3 representative teams including Sol de America Asuncion, Deportivo San Jose Asuncion and Felix Perez Cardozo Asuncion
SCORES:
TUESDAY 27TH
LANUS 75- SAN JOSE 72
OBERA 57-SOL 56

WEDNESDAY 28TH
SOL 48- LANUS 2
OBERA 75- FLAMENGO 44
S. JOSE 72- SIGLO XXI 54

First Juventud de America Tournament held in Asunciòn for under 15. - by Santiago Maciel
The first edition of the under 15 tournament named JUVENTUD DE AMERICA is being held in Asuncin. Sol de America Asuncion is the hosting team. All the games of this group will be played at its Stadium located in Bo. Obrero suburb, over the so called 5th avenue.
This group is formed of 6 teams including Flamengo Petrobras Rio de Janeiro from Brasil, Siglo XXI and Obera Tenis from Argentina and Sol de America Asuncion and Deportivo San Jose Asuncion from Paraguay.
The tournament is one of the first initiatives from the new ABASU, the South American new organization ruler due to the dissapearing of the CONSUBASQUET who has been for many years this region Asociation ruler affiliated to FIBA.
Consubasket got into many troubles with different Federations a couple of years ago and ABASU was borned after those conflicts.
We hope the new organization gets stronger to become respected in the whole continent so our game can keep growing strong as has been.

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  POLAND   


Poland qualified to the FIBA U19 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Greece U18-Poland U18 55:74
Poland qualified to the FIBA U19 European Championship as they won over Greece in the 5-8 classification games in U18 European Championship at Siemens Arena in Vilnius. The Polish side needed 74:55 to play tomorrow for the 5th place.
Mateusz Ponitka (196-G-93) opened the game from the perimeter and Tomasz Gielo (204-F-93) nailed three for 9:6. Poland never looked behind in the first quarter taking 16:13 advantage after the first 10 minutes. Petros Melissaratos (202-C/F-93) reduced to 20:17, while Przemyslaw Karnowski (213-C-93) increased for Poland at 31:21.The latter dominated the court in the frame and Mateusz Ponitka closed the half at 39:27. The third quarter also belonged to the Polish side that stepped away from the opponents as Kwiatkowski scored for 50:38. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz (201-F-92) made a jump shot at the end of the third quarter as Poland enjoyed 55:40 advantage. Mateusz Ponitka brought 60:40, while Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz scored for 64:49. Michalak nailed three for 72:49 and Sokolowski made the last two free throws for the final victory.
Mateusz Ponitka stepped up with 24 points for the winners. Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz nailed 8, while Grzegorz Grochowski (176-G-93), Tomasz Gielo and Przemyslaw Karnowski netted 7
each. Anastasios Antonakis (204-C/F-92) finished the game with 13 points in the losing effort, while Petros Melissaratos netted 10. Tomorrow Poland will face Croatia for the 5th place, while Greece will meet France for the 7th.

Greece U18: Anastasios Antonakis 13, Petros Melissaratos 10
Poland U18: Mateusz Ponitka 24, Bartlomiej Bartoszewicz 8, Grzegorz Grochowski 7, Tomasz Gielo 7, Przemyslaw Karnowski 7



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  PORTUGAL   


Slovak Republic take 17th spot in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Slovak Republic U18 - Portugal U18 71:65
Slovak Republic finished their U18 European Championship in Division B campaign on a high note. They held off Portugal to claim the 17th place. Portugal finished in the 18th position. Julius Antal (92) and Boris Bojanovsky (215-C-93) scored 15 points each to pace Slovak Republic in this one.
Slovak Republic led right from the start. They posted a 15:12 advantage ten minutes into the game. Slovak Republic opened the second period with four points in a row to stretch the margin. They rolled confidently throughout the period and posted a 36:30 advantage at halftime. Boyanosvky tipped off the third period with five points in a row as Slovak Republic took an 11-point advantage. Portugal could not get any closer as they trailed by 14 points with ten minutes to go 43:57. Slovak Republic kept their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth term. Portugal managed to close the game on a 9:0 run to sweeten the pill.
Maurizio Galata (197-F-92) provided 14 points for Slovak Republic. Matej Hatrik (183-G-92) added 8 points in the victory. Eduardo Guimaraes (185-G-92) notched 18 points for Portugal. Rafael Wildner (204-F/C-92) accounted for 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Slovak Republic U18: Julius Antal 15, Boris Bojanovsky 15, Maurizio Galata 14
Portugal U18: Eduardo Guimaraes 18, Rafael Wildner 12


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  ROMANIA   


BC Steaua Turabo Bucuresti sign Virgil Stanescu - by Eurobasket
BC Steaua Turabo Bucuresti signed 33-year old power forward Virgil Stanescu (207-C/F-77, college: S.Alabama, agency: Interperformances). Stanescu played most recently at Banca Tercas Teramo (Italy). While playing Italian League for Banca Tercas last season his stats were: 26 games: 5.3ppg, 2.0rpg and 3.9rpg. Stanescu is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey and Kuwait.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Georgia post first win in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Georgia U18 - Romania U18 71:56
Georgia snapped the losing skid and recorded the first win at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They outscored Romania in the final game of the tournament. Georgia thus clinched the 19th position in the ladder. Duda Sanadze (196-G-92) notched 18 points to pace Georgia.
The teams stayed close throughout the opening frame. Levan Eliadze (197-F-92) drained two triples late in the period to help Georgia accumulate a 13:9 lead. Levan Eliadze and Duda Sanadze tipped off the second stanza with five points in a row as Georgia boosted the lead. Georgia used a 9:0 run to take a 12-point advantage midway through the second quarter. Romania answered with 10 consecutive points to narrow the deficit at just 2 points at halftime 30:32. The teams stayed close in the third term. The lead changed for several times before Georgia pulled in front 50:44 with ten minutes to go. Georgia ignited a 7:0 rally in the final period to pile up an 11-point buffer midway through the stanza. Levan Eliadze soon gave a 20-point for Georgia and they never looked back en route to the victory. Levan Eliadze finished with 15 points for Georgia. Nodar Tenieshvili (198-F-92) notched 13 points in the victory. Horia Cristiean (183-G-93) answered with 14 points for Romania. Aurelian Toth (210-C-92) added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Georgia U18: Duda Sanadze 18, Levan Eliadze 15, Nodar Tenieshvili 13
Romania U18: Horia Cristiean 14, Aurelian Toth 11


CSU Sibiu sign Michael Harrison - by Eurobasket
CSU Sibiu agreed terms with 26-year old American power forward Michael Harrison (206-F/C-84, agency: Interperformances). Harrison played most recently at ecogise Nelson Giants (New Zealand). Harrison played also pro basketball in Israel and New Zealand. Last season he spend in Israeli Hapoel Haifa, where in 4 testing games averaged 15.5ppg, 9.0rpg and 3.3apg

By Eurobasket Data Center

CS Energia Rovinari Targu Jiu sign Stefan Nikolic - by Eurobasket
CS Energia Rovinari Targu Jiu added to their roster 23-year old Serbian guard Stefan Nikolic (192-G-87). Nikolic played most recently at OKK Beograd (Serbia). While playing Serbian League for Beograd last season (he moved there in February) his stats were: 5 games: 3.0ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.4apg; Balkan League: 3 games: 4.3ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.7apg and 1.0spg. He helped OKK make it to Balkan League Quarterfinals. Nikolic is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Russia and Slovenia.
By Eurobasket Data Center

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  RUSSIA   


Enisey tab Lonny Baxter - by Eurobasket News
Enisey bolstered their frontcourt. They added Lonny Baxter (203-C-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) to the roster. The 31-year-old centre played for Besiktas in the previous season. Lonny Baxter tallied 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per EuroCup game. In TBL his stats read 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Lonny Baxter used to play in Montepaschi Siena, Joventut, Panionios, the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.


Russia destroyed Latvia for the big Final in Vilnius - by Eurobasket News
Latvia U18-Russia U18 42:73
Russia destroyed Latvia for the big Final in Vilnius at the U18 European Championship. The Russian side separated the Baltic Final smashing Latvia 73:42 in the last game on Saturday.
Andrey Loginov (204-F-93) made the first jump shot for the winners, while Latvia bounced back with 6-0 run. Tikhonin and Apsitis exchanged the leads and Bekkiev tied the quarter at 11:11. The score was tied four times in the second period, while Russia finished the half with 8-0 run for 28:23 halftime advantage. In the second half the court was dominated only by one team that played awesome both in defense and offense. Russia reached 47:33 as Sergey Karasev (200-F-93) closed the third period in the game. In the last quarter Russia limited the opponents to just 9 points and easily won the semifinal. Vladislav Trushkin (200-F-93) made the last jump shot in the game for the final success.
Sergey Karasev paced all the winners with 16 points for the big Final. Vladislav Trushkin netted 13, while Andrey Loginov collected 12 points and 14 rebounds. Davis Bertans (200-F-92) responded with 12 points and Janis Timma (198-F-92) poured in 9.
Tomorrow Russia will face Lithuania in the Final as an unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifted the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated.

Latvia U18: Davis Bertans 12, Janis Timma 9
Russia U18: Sergey Karasev 16, Vladislav Trushkin 13, Andrey Loginov 12+14 rebs

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  SCOTLAND   


Cyprus U16 win European Championship in Division C - by Eurobasket News
Cyprus U16 - Scotland U16 74:30
Cyprus finished their U16 European Championship in Division C campaign in style. They thumped Scotland to triumph in Andorra. Giorgos Stylianou came up with 20 points and 7 rebounds to lead the victors.
Cyprus opened the championship clash with 13 points in a row. Cyprus kept on rolling to shock Scotland with a 26:2 start to the encounter. Cyprus enjoyed a 28:7 lead ten minutes into the game. Scotland tipped off the second frame with a 6:2 surge to stop the bleeding. But the teams kept scoreless for four minutes late in the half as Cyprus posted a comfortable 35:16 advantage at halftime. Cyprus went on a 9:0 run at the start of the third quarter to aggravate the damage. The Cypriot avalanche continued throughout the stanza. They recorded a 53:24 lead with ten minutes remaining. Scotland never recovered in the fourth period and had to surrender at the end.
Constantinos Papacostas accounted for 16 points for Cyprus. Roberto Mantovani added 13 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Michael Secker answered with 8 points for Scotland. Jack Nicholson and Matthew Wilcox had 5 points each in the loss.

Cyprus U16: Giorgos Stylianou 20, Constantinos Papacostas 16, Roberto Mantovani 13+12 boards
Scotland U16: Michael Secker 8, Jack Nicholson 5, Matthew Wilcox 5


Scotland edge Luxembourg in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Scotland U18 - Luxembourg U18 70:45
Scotland will play for the 13th place at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They held off Luxembourg in the classification round today. Alasdair Fraser (201-C-92) was unstoppable with 33 points and 20 rebounds for the Scottish team.
Alasdair Fraser knocked down 10 points in the starting frame to give Scotland a 17:14 lead. Scotland used a 13:2 run in the second quarter to boost the margin to 15 points. Alasdair Fraser capped the half with a lay-up as Scotland posted a 41:24 advantage. Alasdair Fraser notched 7 points in a row as the gap grew at 24-point mark. Luxembourg could not recover as they trailed by as many as 26 points heading into the fourth quarter. Scotland opened the fourth frame with seven points in a row and never looked back en route to the victory.
Alasdair Fraser Glass (190-G-92) and Lee Reilly (182-G-92) notched 6 points each for the winners. Alex Laurent (195-C-93) responded with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Eric steffen (183-G-92) and Max Schmit (182-G-92) had 7 points each in the loss. Scotland will take on the winners of Denmark vs. Hungary clash. Luxembourg will face the losing side in the clash for the 15th place tomorrow.

Scotland U18: Alasdair Fraser 33+20 boards, Alasdair Fraser Glass 6, Lee Reilly 6
Luxembourg U18: Alex Laurent 18+11 boards, Eric steffen 7, Max Schmit 7


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  SENEGAL   


Alabi, Thabeet, Other stars storm Nigeria for Bigman Camp - by Olusegun Ikuesan
New kid on the block Nigeria center Solomon Alabi will make a dramatic appearance at this years Bigman Camp which begin in Lagos, Nigeria today.
The camp which will run through Monday before Alabi and other stars who will grace the occasion depart fro Dakar, Senegal to attend this years NBA/FIBA Basketball Without Border will also has Hasheem Thabeet alongside other basketball stars at the 3-Day Bigman.
The camp put together by former Nigeria international guard and Toronto Raptors Assistant General Manager, Masai Ujiri will take place at the sports hall of the national stadium, Lagos, Nigeria.
According to the programme of event released by Ujiri, kit would be distributed to the players in the morning of Saturday as orientation would be given to them on how they are expected to conduct themselves in camp.
New NBA draft, Nigerias Solomon Alabi, Hasheem Thabeet and former Nigerian international, Obinna Ekezie will take the players through the full court rudiments.
And on Sunday, the players would be taken through the drills and basic fundamental work; stretch and warm ups while Patrick Engelbrecht would handle the full court rudiment. Thabeet, Alabi and National Basketball Association Director in-charge of Africa Amadou Gallo Fall from Senegal would team up with the rest of the instructors for the afternoon session where the players would be taught basic life skills.
A media session is schedule for Monday where the Nigeria media would have opportunity of interacting with Alabi, a 2006 champion of the FIBA Africa Championship for U18 Men in Durban, South Africa and others.
Alabi (Toronto Raptors), Thabeet (Grizzlies), Jay Triano (Raptors), Fall, Ujiri (Raptors) and President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar at Lagoon Restaurant in Lagos.
Alabi, who just signed a three-year contract with the Raptors, finished his college season averaging 11.7 points, 6, 7 rebounds and shot 80 percent from the free throw line for Florida State University.

Ujiri says the Bigman Camp has afforded him the opportunity to work with kids that have taken part in the event for six years. He promised that this years event, like previous ones, would have appreciable impact on the players.

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  SERBIA   


An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifts the hosts to the Final - by Eurobasket News
Lithuania U18-Serbia U18 67:66

An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes lifts the hosts to the Final of the U18 European Championship. Lithuania grabbed 67:66 victory over Serbia to remain undefeated.
Lithuania started as it was expected and reached 4-0 in the opening tip. Bogic Vujosevic (189-G-92) reduced to 11:9, while the hists created a 6-0 run for 17:9. Vytenis Cizauskas (189-G-92) drove a lay-up for 22:14 at the end of the period. Right after that time Serbia started to play better. Besovic tied it all at 26:26 and Stefan Nastic (210-C-92) closed the run at 34:26. Dovydas Redikas (193-G-92) sent the squads to the lockers for 37:34 as Serbia won the frame at 23-12. Zygimantas Skucas (200-F-92) later tied it at 43:43 and Bogdanovic brought the defending champions 52:49. Jakstas was the last to score in the end of the third frame for 56:51. Serbia deserved the win more and even increased to 66:53 when Bogdanovic made a jump shot. Whatever happened to the guests after they could blame themselves. An unbelievable 14-0 run in the last 6 minutes gave Lithuania the minimum lead that became the most improtant victory at the Championship. Zygimantas Skucas made one free throw in the last seconds to bring the win for Lithuania.
Vytenis Cizauskas led the way with 15 points and Deividas Pukis (193-G/F-92) netted 12. Zygimantas Skucas and Dovydas Redikas followed them with 11 points each. Bogic Vujosevic ended up with 15 points in the losing effort. Nikola Siladi (206-F-92) netted 14, while Stefan Nastic scored 10.
Lithuania U18: Vytenis Cizauskas 15, Deividas Pukis 12, Zygimantas Skucas 11, Dovydas Redikas 11
Serbia U18: Bogic Vujosevic 15, Nikola Siladi 14, Stefan Nastic 10



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  SLOVAKIA   


Team changes in Svit - by Martin Bosko
New management of BK Iskra Svit made next changes in team roster last week. 21-years old center Peter Dorazil (199-F/C-89) and 33-years old center Eduard Znanec (205-F/C-76) came to Svit from Banska Bystrica in june. From BK Iskra Svit to Banska Bytrica goes 28-years old Croatian center Ivica Cvitanovic (206-C-82). After one season in Handlova came 23-years old forward Martin Bilik (194-F-87) back to Svit. Last week Svit signed contract with 29-years old guard Martin Micka (180-G-81) from Pezinok and 24-years old Czech forward Vladimir Sismilich (195-F-85), who came from Basketbol Brno.

Slovak Republic take 17th spot in Tel-Aviv - by Eurobasket News
Slovak Republic U18 - Portugal U18 71:65
Slovak Republic finished their U18 European Championship in Division B campaign on a high note. They held off Portugal to claim the 17th place. Portugal finished in the 18th position. Julius Antal (92) and Boris Bojanovsky (215-C-93) scored 15 points each to pace Slovak Republic in this one.
Slovak Republic led right from the start. They posted a 15:12 advantage ten minutes into the game. Slovak Republic opened the second period with four points in a row to stretch the margin. They rolled confidently throughout the period and posted a 36:30 advantage at halftime. Boyanosvky tipped off the third period with five points in a row as Slovak Republic took an 11-point advantage. Portugal could not get any closer as they trailed by 14 points with ten minutes to go 43:57. Slovak Republic kept their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth term. Portugal managed to close the game on a 9:0 run to sweeten the pill.
Maurizio Galata (197-F-92) provided 14 points for Slovak Republic. Matej Hatrik (183-G-92) added 8 points in the victory. Eduardo Guimaraes (185-G-92) notched 18 points for Portugal. Rafael Wildner (204-F/C-92) accounted for 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Slovak Republic U18: Julius Antal 15, Boris Bojanovsky 15, Maurizio Galata 14
Portugal U18: Eduardo Guimaraes 18, Rafael Wildner 12


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  SLOVENIA   


Nesterovic returns to Europe - by Zeljko Zule
According to Greek sources, Olympiakos agreed terms with former NBA champion Radoslav Nesterovic (212-C-76) ex Toronto Raptors. The article says that Olympiakos reached an agreement with Nesterovic without leaking any information to the press and he will be their player next season.
Former Slovenian NT captain Nesterovic is no stranger to Greece as he played there before. He also holds a Greek passport under the surname Makris. It was issued by another Greek team, Paok, when he was playing for them back in 1995. He has also played for Slovan, Olimpija, Virtus Bologna, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. His last team were the Toronto Raptors where he averaged 4.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 40 games last season. He was voted the MVP of the European Under-22 Championship in 1996.

Turkey is 9th in Vilnius, Slovenia is 10th - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U18-Slovenia U18 74:71
Turkey beat Slovenia in the last game for both teams at the U18 European Championship. Turkey needed 74:71 to finish on the 9th spot.
Alen Omic (213-C-92) gave Slovenia the first lead and Hodzic nailed three for 7:6 in the opening tip. Alen Omic scored six in a row for 17:9, while Besedic shocked Turkey for 27:10 after the first quarter. Can Korkmaz (187-G-92) brought the winners to 25:38, while scored for 31:45. Alen Omic closed the half at 47:31 as the teams disappeared in the lockers. The second half however belonged to the Turkish side that at first produced 20-10 in the third frame. Ramazan Tekin (212-C-93) reduced to 56:51 and Vasl gave Slovenia 57:51 after three quarters. Vardal tied it all at 63:63 and Can Korkmaz tasted already 66:65 with Turkey. Can Korkmaz nailed just one for 74:68 and Marko Pajic (204-F-92) hit the last shot in the game.
Safak Edge (188-G-92) that exploded in the first game for the team with 35 points, this time nailed 20. Can Korkmaz posted 14, while Ramazan Tekin and Samet Geyik (206-F-93) added 9 each. Alen Omic ended up with 17 points and 11 rebounds in defeat as Slovenia is 10th this year. Marko Pajic collected 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Luka Rupnik (184-G-93) added 12.

Turkey U18: Safak Edge 20, Can Korkmaz 14, Ramazan Tekin 9, Samet Geyik 9
Slovenia U18: Alen Omic 17+11 rebs, Marko Pajic 16+11 rebs, Luka Rupnik 12

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  SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS   


Brazil wins the Gold in Neiva - by Eurobasket News
FINAL
Brazil - Argentina 87-77
Brazil won the Gold in Neiva. Murilo da Rosa (210-C/F-83, agency: Arik Krayn Services) exploded in the Big Final with double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds. Eduardo Machado (195-G-82) helped with 15 points and 5 assists. In Argentina, Juan Pablo Cantero (184-G-82) delivered 25 points and his team ended with silver medal.
Places 3-4
Venezuela - Uruguay 70-76
Uruguay won the Bronze in Neiva. Mauricio Aguiar (199-F-83, agency: Players Group) was their leading scorer with 21 points. Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) added 19 points and 5 rebounds. Axiers Sucre (198-F-78, agency: DR. Carlos Sifuentes) had 21 pts and 10 boards in this defeat, while his Venezuela stayed without the medal.
Places 5-6
Paraguay - Colombia 86-66
Fifth place in Nevia belongs to Paraguay. Guillermo Araujo (204-C-82) shined in victory with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Norbey Aragon (194-G/F-78, college: Georgia SW) responded with 20 points and 6 boards in defeat.

Places 7-8
Ecuador - Chile 70-88
Chile avoided the last place in Neiva mostly owing to Evandro Arteaga (178-G-83), who scored 18 points. Gonzalo Velasquez (185-G-81) had 15 points, 8 boards and 7 assists. In defeat, Jose Vicente Diaz (196-F-75) shined with 30 points. His Ecuador ended this championship winless.

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  SPAIN   


Spain clinched the 11th spot at the U18 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18-Italy U18 84:59
Spain clinched the 11th spot at the U18 European Championship beating Italy in their last game. Spain U18 rolled over the Italian side 84:59 as the teams head home.
Of course it was not the game for the spot the teams hoped before the start of the U18 European Championship. Usually both countries qualify to the elite eight, however this time both of them had to appear in the court for the 11-12 places.
Italy won the opening tip 5:4, while Guerra gave Spain 9:5. The latter had 19:12, while Italy finished with 5-0 run for 19:17 after the first 10 minutes. Acosta scored for 21:17 and Ventura increased to 35:26. Spain finished the frame with 4-0 run and took 41:30 halftime advantage. Moreover Joan Tomas (201-F-92) stepped up for 45:30 and Guerra netted for 53:37. Spain won the third frame 24-12 and took 65:42 after three quarters. In the last frame both teams just killed the time as the result and the positions were already known. Creus nailed three at the very end as the teams finished the U18 European Championship in 2010.
Pere Oriola (206-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points for the last win. Joan Tomas netted 10, while Alejandro Barrera (199-F/C-92) scored 9. Matteo Montano (183-G-92) ended up with 13 points in the losing effort and Marco Ceron (192-G-92) notched 9.

Spain U18: Pere Oriola 19, Joan Tomas 10, Alejandro Barrera 9
Italy U18: Matteo Montano 13, Marco Ceron 9

Andorra clinch Bronze at U16 European Championship - by Eurobasket News
Andorra U16 - San Marino U16 86:54
Andorra stepped on the podium at the U16 European Championship in Division C. The hosts outscored San Marino in the consolation final to clinch the third position. Pau Gracia scored 14 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to lead Andorra.
Andorra stunned their opponents in the opening frame. The home team exploded with 30 points in the first ten minutes to accumulate a 21-point advantage. The gap just kept on growing in the second frame. Andorra arrived at the big break up by 26 points 51:25. San Marino could not recover in the third stanza. They trailed by 28 points with ten minutes to go. Andorra opened the fourth term with 4 points in a row and never looked back en route to the win.
Jordi De La Rosa and Marc Roca notched 13 points each for Andorra. Oriol Serra netted 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the winners. Lorenzo Guerra answered with 19 points for San Marino. Julian Gualtieri had 10 points and 9 caroms in the loss.

Andorra U16: Pau Gracia 14, Jordi De La Rosa 13, Marc Roca 13
San Marino U16: Lorenzo Guerra 19, Julian Gualtieri 10


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  SWEDEN   


Germany remains in the top Division for the next year - by Eurobasket News
Sweden U18-Germany U18 49:78
Germany remains in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game.
Germany started strong and scored the first 5 points in the game. Moreover they took 10:1 as Heckmann drove a lay-up. Dennis Kramer (209-F-92) brought 18:6 and William Magarity (207-F-93) closed the opening quarter at 22:11. Wendt nailed three for 27:14, while Mathis Monninghoff (199-G-92) increased to 34:17. Germany again limited Scandinavian team to just 11 points in a quarter for 46:22 halftime advantage. Viktor Gaddefors (200-F-92) reduced to 49:26 and Taqi scored for 53:30. Breunig closed the three quarter at 60:34 as Germany could celebrate at that time. Dennis Kramer and Breunig opened the last stanza with the jump shots and Wendt gave them 66:38. Heckmann and Mathis Monninghoff notched from the perimeter and Heckmann brought 78:47. Nguyen made two free throws at the very end for the final score.
Philipp Neumann (210-C-92) and Mathis Monninghoff paced all the winners with 15 points each. Dennis Kramer collected 13 points and 11 rebounds. Viktor Gaddefors ended up with 10 points in the losing effort as Sweden fell at 2-3.Marcus Eriksson (196-G-93) and William Magarity notched 9 points apiece in a loss.
Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for another second place to remain in Division A.

Sweden U18: Viktor Gaddefors 10, Marcus Eriksson 9, William Magarity 9
Germany U18: Philipp Neumann 15+11 rebs, Mathis Monninghoff 15, Dennis Kramer 13+11 rebs

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  SWITZERLAND   


Lions de Geneve sign Marcus Sloan and Rashard Lee - by Luca Maffioli
Marcus Sloan (205-F-82, college: TCU) and Rashard Lee (198-F-77, college: Tennessee) signed a one-year deal with the new team of Lions de Geneve. Sloan, best rebounder of Swiss LNA 2010, spent his last season with Starwings and he averaged 9.1 ppg, 10.9 rpg and 2.7 apg. The 28 years-old center also won the Swiss Cup with Starwings. Rashard Lee stays in Geneve and he will play with Lions de Geneve. He played last three seasons with Geneva Devils and last season he averaged 16.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.8 apg per game.

Lions de Geneve sign Kevin Bell - by Luca Maffioli
Lions de Geneve signed American guard Kevin Bell (178-G-84, college: Fresno St.). The 26-year old guard played 15 games last season in BBL (United Kingdom) with Everton Tigers. He averaged 15.4ppg, 2.1rpg, 4.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 54.6%, 3PT: 22.9%, FT: 68.7% per game. Bell came out of the Fresno State University in 2008 and he played with Casa TED Kolejliler Ankara (11 games: 8.8ppg, 2.5rpg, 4.0apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 36.8%, 3PT: 19.0%, FT: 56.4%)

Daniel Friedrich wins the game for Austria - by Eurobasket News
Austria U18 - Switzerland U18 69:67
Daniel Friedrich (180-G-92) drained a late triple to propel Austria past Switzerland at the U18 European Championship in Division B. Austria will now play against Belarus for the ninth position at the tournament. Switzerland will take on Netherlands tomorrow.
Switzerland opened the game with eight points in a row. They maintained the lead well throughout the starting quarter and posted a 20:11 lead at the first break. Zoran Zivanovic (203-F/C-92) fired a three-pointer to boost the margin at 12-point mark early in the second term. Austria bounced back late in the half. They went on an 8:2 surge to pull within two points 30:32. Jozo Rados (203-C-93) knocked down three free throws late in half to give Austria a 35:34 lead at halftime. Mladjan and Michel-Ofik Nzege (206-C-92) gave the advantage back to Switzerland midway through the third term. The teams traded the lead for some time as Switzerland posted a 57:55 advantage into the fourth quarter. Zoran Zivanovic gave the Swiss team a 66:62 buffer with just over five minutes remaining. Daniel Friedrich and Michael Diesner (192-F/G-92) dropped four points in a row to draw things level at 66. Michel-Ofik Nzege put Switzerland up by one with a free throw. But Daniel Friedrich came up with a late three-pointer to ice the victory for Austria.
Jozo Rados came up with 17 points and 14 boards for Austria. Daniel Friedrich added 13 points, while Michael Diesner had 10 points for the winners. Zoran Zivanovic notched 15 points for Switzerland. Michel-Ofik Nzege accounted for 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Austria U18: Jozo Rados 17+14 boards, Daniel Friedrich 13, Michael Diesner 10
Switzerland U18: Zoran Zivanovic 15, Michel-Ofik Nzege 13


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  TURKEY   


Turkey is 9th in Vilnius, Slovenia is 10th - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U18-Slovenia U18 74:71
Turkey beat Slovenia in the last game for both teams at the U18 European Championship. Turkey needed 74:71 to finish on the 9th spot.
Alen Omic (213-C-92) gave Slovenia the first lead and Hodzic nailed three for 7:6 in the opening tip. Alen Omic scored six in a row for 17:9, while Besedic shocked Turkey for 27:10 after the first quarter. Can Korkmaz (187-G-92) brought the winners to 25:38, while scored for 31:45. Alen Omic closed the half at 47:31 as the teams disappeared in the lockers. The second half however belonged to the Turkish side that at first produced 20-10 in the third frame. Ramazan Tekin (212-C-93) reduced to 56:51 and Vasl gave Slovenia 57:51 after three quarters. Vardal tied it all at 63:63 and Can Korkmaz tasted already 66:65 with Turkey. Can Korkmaz nailed just one for 74:68 and Marko Pajic (204-F-92) hit the last shot in the game.
Safak Edge (188-G-92) that exploded in the first game for the team with 35 points, this time nailed 20. Can Korkmaz posted 14, while Ramazan Tekin and Samet Geyik (206-F-93) added 9 each. Alen Omic ended up with 17 points and 11 rebounds in defeat as Slovenia is 10th this year. Marko Pajic collected 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Luka Rupnik (184-G-93) added 12.

Turkey U18: Safak Edge 20, Can Korkmaz 14, Ramazan Tekin 9, Samet Geyik 9
Slovenia U18: Alen Omic 17+11 rebs, Marko Pajic 16+11 rebs, Luka Rupnik 12

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  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS   


Hoyas Spoils Boys Dem Bid for Undefeated Season - by David Edole
The defending champion Hoyas took one on the chin and lived to talk about it after defeating the previously undefeated Boys Dem, 78-73, in front of a packed Ronald Charles gymnasium Wednesday night in the final game of the New Breed Basketball Association regular season.
Easily the most anticipated contest of the regular season, the teams' performances on Wednesday were well worth the price of admission. They were like two heavyweight fighters standing in the middle of the ring, slugging it out , trying to see who would be first to succumb to the others will.
In the end the experience of the four-time defending champion Hoyas proved to be the difference late in the fourth quarter.
Both teams came out with a lot of nervous energy and very caught up in the moment. It would take over two minutes for the leagues two most prolific offenses to score a single point. Boys Dem was first on the board, opening with a 5-0 run to the take the early lead. It would take the champs over four minutes to score, and when they did it was on a 13-0 run to grab the lead at 13-5. Boys Dem responded with a 6-3 run to end the first quarter trailing by five at 16-11.
Led by Terrel Christians nine points early in the second period, Boys Dem was able to outscore the Hoyas 21-16 to take the lead at 32-31 moments before halftime. However, the Hoyas' Karl Jones was fouled on a made basket and he calmly sank the free throw to give his team a two point-lead at the half, 34-32.
In a game of runs, it was Boys Dem turn at the start of the second half as they opened with an 11-2 run to take a seven point lead at 43-36, but back came the Hoyas with a 7-0 run and the game was all squared at 43.
The Hoyas found themselves down by four at 53-49 as the third period wound down and they again responded, this time with a 10-1 run to take the lead 59-54 after three bruising quarters.
The Hoyas had a scary moment in the third as they and fans alike held their collective breath when their top rebounder and defensive player, Kurt Tennis Man John, went down with an apparent knee injury. John was down for a while writhing in pain. He was eventually able to get up and leave the court, but would return later to be a force to reckon with down the stretch.
Just as they did in the third quarter, Boys Dem opened on a run that propelled them into the lead once again. With the majority of the huge crowd cheering them on, they outscored the Hoyas 16-5 to grab a 70-64 lead at the five-minute mark. But, they just could not deliver that knockout blow and led by seven points from Darnell Hendrickson in a 9-0 spurt, the champs stormed back to lead 73-70 with 1:40 left on the game clock.
Boys Dem tied the game at 73 on a free throw by Wilson Ferrance and a put-back by Zomari Swanston with 1:25 to go, but that would be the last of their good scoring opportunities because the Hoyas defense would shut them out the rest of the way.
On the other hand the Hoyas closed out the game on a 5-0 run to take the game and the number one seed in the playoffs by a score of 78-73.
Hendrickson led the Hoyas with a team-high 18 points that included 5 of 5 from the charity stripes. The Hoyas also got 15 points from Karl john and 13 apiece from Kori Vialet and Omari Applewaite, another key Hoya player who had to leave with an elbow injury. Kurt John only scored seven points for the Hoyas offensively but he was a monster on the boards on both ends of the court. The Tennis Man, as he is affectionately called, grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds while swatting away four shots and altering countless others. The man for Boys Dem was Christian who finished with a game-high 21 points and grabbed a team-high 15 boards. Wilson Ferrence was the only other player in double figures as he finished with 15 points in a losing cause.

By Dave Davis July 29, 2010

Jam Squad routs Real Thing to avoid series sweep - by David Edole
ST. THOMAS --With their season on the line, Jam Squad reminded basketball followers why they are defending ABA Mens Summer Basketball League champions.
Steve Gardner (170-G-85, college: J.and Wales (FL)) led the way with 24 points and six rebounds as Jam Squad cruised past Da Real Thing, 95-70, on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their best-of-5 championship series at the Boschulte Middle School gym. Da Real Thing held a 2-0 series lead and could have clinched the championship with a win.
Jam Squad will look to even the series at two games apiece on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Jam Squads Calvert White (191-G/F-75, college: SE Missouri St.) added 18 points and four assists, followed by Leon Daniel with 14 points and five rebounds.
Da Real Thing was led by Jabahri Brown (209-F/C-79, college: Oklahoma) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sohi Frazer and Jamari Maduro added 13 points each, with Maduro tallying three assists and six rebounds.

Daily News Staff
Published: July 29, 2010


Dominicans win the Bronze in Mayaguez - by Eurobasket News
CAC Games, Third place: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 79-69

The Bronze belongs to Dominicans. They outplayed ISV in the last day of the competition to finish as No.3. Kelvin Pena (193-G-80, college: Southeastern CC) was the leading player in victory with 26 points. Actually, he was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 19. Jack Michael Martinez (203-F/C-81, agency: Paris Global Sports) had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, while Carlos Paniagua (201-F/C-76, college: Tenn Temple) added 10 points and 12 boards. In the loosing squad, Walter Hodge (183-G-86, college: Florida) collected 24 points and 5 boards. Jason Edwin (197-G/F-81, college: Kent St.) (5 rebs) and Devon Peltier (180-G-87) had 14 and 11 points respectively. Their ISV stayed without the medal at this event.
Last quarter was the crucial on in this game. Before that, ISV made 18-20 in the first, while the second quarter was totally tied to 16-16. Nothing has changed after the breather. Teams exchanged baskets and another pretty leveled quarter was seen. Anyway, it also belonged to ISV who headed to last ten minutes with 3-point lead. Than, ISV players somehow stopped and Dominicans took full control on this meeting. Kelvin Pena was on fire and mostly owing to him Dominicans drained 24 points in the last quarter. They limited ISV to just 11 celebrating comfortable 79-69 win for the Bronze medal in Mayaguez.

Dominican Republic: Kelvin Pena 26, Jack Michael Martinez 13+11 boards+6 as, Carlos Paniagua 10+12 boards
U.S. Virgin Islands: Walter Hodge 24+5 boards, Jason Edwin 14+5 boards, Devon Peltier 11



*****************************************************
  UKRAINE   


New faces in Hoverla and Ferro-ZNTU - by Eurobasket News
Hoverla brought in two new players. They agreed on terms of contract with Eric Coleman (200-C-85, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: N.Iowa) and Dante Swanson (178-G-81, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Tulsa). Eric Coleman spent the previous season in Spain. The 24-year-old centre played for Breogan in LEB Gold. He tallied 13.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals per appearance.
Dante Swanson arrives to Ukraine from Poland. The 29-year-old guard played for AZS Koszalin in PLK. Dante Swanson tallied 17.1 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per appearance.
Ferro-ZNTU also signed two import players. Christian Burns (203-F-85, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Philadelphia) and Keddric Mays (183-G-84, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) joined the Zaporozhye outfit. Christian Burns had a solid previous season in Germany. The 24-year-old forward played for ratiopharm Ulm. Burns notched 14.8 points, 6.3 boards and 1.3 steals per game in 1Bundesliga.
Keddric Mays played for Znicz Jaroslaw in PLK in the previous season. The 25-year-old guard averaged 19.3 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.


Ukraine U18 sent Bulgaria U18 to Division B - by Eurobasket News
Ukraine U18-Bulgaria U18 104:63
Ukraine U18 sent Bulgaria U18 to Division B thrashing them on Saturday at the U18 European Championship. Ukraine improved to 3-2 record after 104:63 win, while Bulgaria dropped to 1-4.
Ukraine started offensively and grabbed 32-19 after the first quarter. Hristo Gospodinov (199-F-92, agency: Interperformances) scored for 51:33 and Marchenko increased to 56:41. Ukraine enjoyed 61:44 as the teams went to the lockers. Both squads nailed 15 points each in the third period as Ukraine held off the opponents. The last quarter became a nightmare for Bulgaria that could not match the winners. Motorchuk scored for 99:63 and Mishula nailed three for three-digit number on the board. Virastiuk closed the game from the perimeter for the final success.
V'Yacheslav Bobrov (202-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Klym Artamonov (176-G-93) nailed 18 points. Pavlo Krutous (195-G/F-92) and Olexiy Len (210-C-93) delivered 15 points each in a win. Hristo Gospodinov responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Ivanov scored 11.
Germany will remain in the top Division for the next year as they improved to 4-1 record at the Classification Round of the U18 European Championship. Germany rolled over Sweden 78:49 winning all the quarters in the game. Tomorrow Sweden and Ukraine will battle for the another second place to remain in Division A.

Ukraine U18: V'Yacheslav Bobrov 19, Klym Artamonov 18, Pavlo Krutous 15, Olexiy Len 15
Bulgaria U18: Hristo Gospodinov 18, Ivanov 11

*****************************************************
  UNITED KINGDOM   


England eke out win against Bosnia and Herzegovina - by Eurobasket News
England U18 - Bosnia and Herzegovina U18 68:65
England will play for the fifth position at the U18 European Championship in Division B. They will face Estonia tomorrow. England held off Bosnia and Herzegovina in a tight battle tonight. Joshua Owen-Thomas (186-G-92) knocked down 18 points pace the English team.
The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout the opening quarter. Geramipoor capped it with a lay-up as England accumulated a 20:15 advantage. However Ernad Mujic (208-C-92) and Begacic quickly erased the deficit at the start of the second term. Ernad Mujic soon pulled Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge 36:28. Bosnia and Herzegovina took over and posted a 38:31 lead at halftime. John Stewart (198-F-93) and Joshua Owen-Thomas teamed up for 13 points at the beginning of the third quarter to draw things level at 44. Ernad Mujic returned the lead back to Bosnia and Herzegovina 52:46 late in the third term. John Stewart and Devon Van Oostrum (190-G-93) bridged the terms with back-to-back three-pointers as England once again leveled things up. It all came down to the final minutes in this one. Okereafor hit from downtown to spark a 7:0 run from England as they snatched a narrow victory at the end.
John Stewart knocked down 15 points for England. Devon Van Oostrum added 14 points, 6 boards and 6 assists in the victory. Ernad Mujic replied with 17 points for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mirza Bulic (204-F-92) had 13 points and 8 boards in defeat.

England U18: Joshua Owen-Thomas 18, John Stewart 15, Devon Van Oostrum 14
Bosnia and Herzegovina U18: Ernad Mujic 17, Mirza Bulic 13


Wales edge Malta to finish fifth in Andorra - by Eurobasket News
Wales U16 - Malta U16 53:37
Wales clinched the fifth place at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They knocked down Malta on the final day of the tournament in Andorra. Jacob Lloyd came up with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists to pace the Welsh team.
Wales limited their opponents to just 6 points in the opening quarter to surge in front. They enjoyed a 12:6 lead ten minutes into the game. Malta were able to narrow the deficit at 3-point mark late in the second term but Jacob Lloyd and Sumiullah Khan ensured a 24:17 lead for Wales at halftime. Wales opened the third term on a 7:2 run to stay in charge. They rallied to a 39:25 advantage at the final break. Wales maintained the lead throughout the fourth quarter. Their defense worked smoothly as Malta scored just 12 points in the period and lost the battle.
Sumuillah Khan had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Tomos Williams and Nicholas Rothwell had 8 points apiece in the victory. Aaron Falzon tallied 14 points and 28 rebounds for Malta. Nikola Andrejevic came up with 6 points in the loss.

Wales U16: Jacob Lloyd 19+10 boards, Sumiullah Khan 10, Tomos Williams 8, Nicholas Rothwell 8
Malta U16: Aaron Falzon 14+28 boards, Nikola Andrejevic 6


*****************************************************
  URUGUAY   


Argentina advances to Big Final in Neiva - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Semifinals: URUGUAY - ARGENTINA 73-79

Argentina opened the championship in Neiva with defeat, but that didn't affect strong Argentineans and they made it to the Big Final. Argentina was better than Uruguay in the Semis 73-79 and will fight for Gold against Brazil. On the other side, Uruguay will play against Venezuela for the Bronze. Leonardo Mainoldi (204-F-85) led Argentina with 17 points and 7 rebounds, while Luis Cequeira (180-G-85) also had 17 pts but to go with 5 boards. Juan Gutierrez (205-F/C-83) helped with 14 pts and 5 rebs, and Juan Pablo Cantero (184-G-82) added 12 pts and 8 rebs. In the loosing squad, Mauricio Aguiar (199-F-83, agency: Players Group) shined with 24 pts. Martin Osimani (194-G-81, college: Duquesne) and Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) scored 14 points each.
Except of third quarter, everything else belonged to Argentina. Leonardo Mainoldi and his teammates were slightly better in the first period ending it with 19-21 lead. They intensified defense for rest of the first half and limited Uruguay to 13 second quarter points. They drained 18 on the other side for 22-39 advantage. Uruguay improved in third frame (18-16) and that was the only one which belonged to them. Argentina ended last ten minutes with 23-24 for the final 73-79 win and a spot for the Big Final in Neiva.
Saturday is the last day of the competition in Neiva.

Uruguay: Mauricio Aguiar 24, Martin Osimani 14, Fernando Martinez 14
Argentina: Leonardo Mainoldi 17+7 boards, Luis Cequeira 17+5 boards, Juan Gutierrez 14+5 boards, Juan Pablo Cantero 12+8 boards



*****************************************************
  VENEZUELA   


South American Championship: Brazil outplays Venezuela in the Semis - by Eurobasket News
South American Championship, Semifinals: BRAZIL - VENEZUELA 79-67

Brazil stretched its winning streak in Neiva to four. It means that Brazilians advanced to Big Final, where they will meet Argentina. On the other side, Venezuela will play against Uruguay for the Bronze. Murilo da Rosa (210-C/F-83, agency: Arik Krayn Services) shined for Brazil with 25 points and 7 rebounds. He was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 22. Rafael Ferreira (208-C/F-88) scored 15 points and Arthur Luiz Belchior (200-G/F-82) helped with 10. In Venezuela, Rafael Perez (193-G/F-82, agency: Paris Global Sports) top-scored with 22 points. Hector Romero (202-F-80, college: New Orleans) followed him with 12.
Venezuela was slightly better team in the first quarter, as they made 18-20 lead. Next ten minutes were pretty tied as well, but this time they belonged to Brazil 16-15. At that point it seemed that this game could be interesting one until the very end, but Murilo da Rosa and his teammates had other thoughts. They came up strongly after the breather draining 23 points in Q3. At the same time, Brazilians limited Venezuela to 15 for plus 7 with ten minutes to go. Venezuela was in trouble, but they were not able to do anything about that. Brazil dominated in Q4 (22-17) and finished this game with plus 12.
Saturday is the last day of the competition in Neiva.

Brazil: Murilo da Rosa 25+7 boards, Rafael Ferreira 15, Arthur Luiz Belchior 10
Venezuela: Rafael Perez 22, Hector Romero 12





*****************************************************

Women News

*****************************************************
  AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS - Women  


U18 Women CAN: Senegal surrender to Egypt 31-89 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Host Egypt was ruthless Friday when it tore Senegal young ladies apart with a whopping 89-31 points victory in the second day of the 11th FIBA Africa Championship for Women holding in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
The host who handed Kenya a 87-40 points defeat in her opening Group-A game Thursday continued the ferocious moves Friday against the young Lioness of Senegal winning in all four quarters by 26-03, 21-05, 21-12 and 21-11.
Egypt Hagar Mohammed recorded a double double of 14 rebounds and 13 points while the duo of Reem Ossama and Dina Amr Kamal added 18 and 14 points respectively for the night victory.
Senegal Ndeye Fatou Ndiaye showed she is a promising player for the future when she grabbed 16 rebounds to the lead the floor in rebound for the night.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye



*****************************************************
  AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18 - Women  


Standings
Standings
Group A
1. Egypt2-0
2. Kenya1-1
3. Angola1-1
4. Senegal0-1
5. Tunisia0-1
Group B
1. Nigeria2-0
2. DRCongo0-0
3. Ivory Coast0-0
4. Mali0-1
5. Mozambique0-1


Day Two in Cairo - by Eurobasket News
Three games were played in Cairo on Friday. It was the second day of the 11th African Nations Championship U18 for Women.

In Group A, Kenya managed to grab the first win at this event. They outsmarted Angola 74-72 to join them with 1-1 record. Another game of Group A was played on Friday. Egypt jumped to 2-0 thanks to 89-31 victory against Senegal (0-1).

In Group B, Nigeria was too strong for Mali 65-47. It means that Nigeria stays perfect in Cairo with 2-0, while Mali failed in their first appearance.



*****************************************************
  ANGOLA - Women  


U18 Women CAN: Angola in narrow lose to Kenya 72-74 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Kenya U18 Women national team Friday proved a point that they are not in Egypt for sight-seeing as they go past Angola by 74-72 points in their second Group-A game.
The Kenya young ladies who lost to Egypt Thursday by 87-40 points rose to the challenges poised by the Angola coming back from an initial set-back in the first quarter of 16-10 points lose to snatched the second quarter by 26-17 points to go into the half-time break with a three points advantage of 36-33 points.
Not wanting to bow to the determination of the Kenyan, Angola quickly put its act together at the resumption of play in the third quarter winning by 20-15 points to take a one point lead into the last quarter (53-52) but it was the Kenya who laughed last as they rallied to a 22-19 points victory in the last quarter to win by 74-72 points.
Four games are on the bill today as the championship enter Day-3 with Tunisia taking on Kenya at 14H00 in Group-A, defending champion Mali will do battle against Mozambique at 16H00 in Group-B.
Senegal and Angola will take their turn in Group-A at 18H00 while Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote dIvoire will taste action for the first time since the championship dunked-off Thursday in a Group-B pairing at 20H00. As host Egypt and Nigeria are drawn bye.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye

*****************************************************
  BRAZIL - Women  


Jelena Milovanovic leads Serbia past Brazil - by Eurobasket News
Serbia - Brazil 82:78
Serbia clinched the first win at the international tournament in Kosice, Slovak Republic. They outlasted the Latin American powerhouse Brazil. Jelena Milovanovic (190-F-89) was pivotal with 20 points for Serbia.
The European team earned a narrow 20:17 lead at the first break. Serbia maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter. They posted a 43:35 lead at the main break. Brazil however bounced back in the third term. The Latin American side exploded with 29 points to erase the deficit. Brazil headed into the fourth quarter up by 4 points. Serbia did not surrender and found the way to snatch the victory. Jelena Milovanovic and Jelena Maksimovic (192-C-82) came up strong in the fourth term and helped Serbia open win count at the tournament.
Milica Dabovic (175-G-82, agency: 011 Sports) knocked down 18 points for Serbia. Jelena Maksimovic added 11 points in the victory. Helen Santos Luz (176-G-72) responded with 18 points for Brazil. Palmira Marcal (178-G-84) accounted for 12 points in the loss.

Serbia: Jelena Milovanovic 20, Milica Dabovic 18, Jelena Maksimovic 11
Brazil: Helen Santos Luz 18, Palmira Marcal 12



*****************************************************
  EGYPT - Women  


U18 Women CAN: Senegal surrender to Egypt 31-89 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Host Egypt was ruthless Friday when it tore Senegal young ladies apart with a whopping 89-31 points victory in the second day of the 11th FIBA Africa Championship for Women holding in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
The host who handed Kenya a 87-40 points defeat in her opening Group-A game Thursday continued the ferocious moves Friday against the young Lioness of Senegal winning in all four quarters by 26-03, 21-05, 21-12 and 21-11.
Egypt Hagar Mohammed recorded a double double of 14 rebounds and 13 points while the duo of Reem Ossama and Dina Amr Kamal added 18 and 14 points respectively for the night victory.
Senegal Ndeye Fatou Ndiaye showed she is a promising player for the future when she grabbed 16 rebounds to the lead the floor in rebound for the night.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye



*****************************************************
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18 - Women  


Div.A Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Alina IAGUPOVA
  (179-G-92)
  Avg: 38.3
 1. Iagupova, UKR38.3 
 2. Baric, SLO22.0 
 3. Gortnar, SLO20.3 
 4. Zahui, SWE19.7 
 5. Demirkol, TUR18.3 
 6. Okockyte, LTU17.7 
 7. Cepelkova, CZE16.7 
 8. Kavurmaciogl., TUR15.7 
 9. Zietara, POL15.0 
 10. Stancic, SRB14.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Azge KAVURMACIOGLU
  (187-F-93)
  Avg: 14
 1. Kavurmaciogl., TUR14.0 
 2. Naumenko, UKR12.3 
 3. Barba, FRA11.0 
 4. Zaveckaite, LTU11.0 
 5. Zahui, SWE10.0 
 6. Gortnar, SLO9.7 
 7. Brajkovic, SRB9.7 
 8. Svaryte, LTU9.3 
 9. Iagupova, UKR8.3 
 10. Szczepanik, POL8.0 
Assists Per Game
 Beatrice CARTA
  (170-G-92)
  Avg: 4.7
 1. Carta, ITA4.7 
 2. Baric, SLO4.0 
 3. Kabengano, SWE4.0 
 4. Iagupova, UKR3.7 
 5. Pasynkova, RUS3.7 
 6. Barba, FRA3.5 
 7. Kissova, SVK3.3 
 8. Palenikova, SVK3.3 
 9. Zietara, POL3.3 
 10. Stolyar, RUS3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Snezana COLIC
  (176-G-92)
  Avg: 7
 1. Colic, SRB7.0 
 2. Carta, ITA5.0 
 3. Iagupova, UKR4.3 
 4. Vyoralova, CZE3.5 
 5. Gorini, ITA3.3 
 6. Bradnanska, SVK3.3 
 7. Jakovina, SLO3.0 
 8. Adamcova, CZE3.0 
 9. Druskyte, LTU3.0 
 10. Demirkol, TUR2.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Barbora VECHTOVA
  (186-C-92)
  Avg: 3
 1. Vechtova, CZE3.0 
 2. Zahui, SWE2.3 
 3. Lagzdina, LAT2.0 
 4. Iagupova, UKR2.0 
 5. Svaryte, LTU2.0 
 6. Bandyk, POL1.7 
 7. Stauere, LAT1.7 
 8. Grigalauskyt., LTU1.3 
 9. Kissova, SVK1.3 
 10. Stepanova, RUS1.3 


Div.B Stats Leaders - by Eurobasket
Points Per Game
 Artemis SPANOU
  (185-F-93)
  Avg: 20.3
 1. Spanou, GRE20.3 
 2. Musatava, BLR20.0 
 3. Bigica, ROM19.5 
 4. Ivashchanka, BLR17.0 
 5. Premasunac, CRO17.0 
 6. Hurd, ENG16.5 
 7. Schaake, GER15.5 
 8. Dzinic, BIH15.5 
 9. Fagbenle, ENG14.5 
 10. Todoric, CRO14.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Temitope FAGBENLE
  (191-F-92)
  Avg: 15
 1. Fagbenle, ENG15.0 
 2. Ursu, ROM12.5 
 3. Greinacher, GER12.0 
 4. Van Der Keij., NED12.0 
 5. Bohdan, BLR11.0 
 6. Premasunac, CRO10.0 
 7. Saarinen, FIN10.0 
 8. Todoric, CRO10.0 
 9. Mestrovic, CRO9.0 
 10. Pacheco, POR8.5 
Assists Per Game
 Ema MESTROVIC
  (168-F-93)
  Avg: 4.5
 1. Mestrovic, CRO4.5 
 2. Cursaru, ROM4.5 
 3. Domingues, POR4.0 
 4. Ryder, DEN4.0 
 5. Hamilton, ENG3.5 
 6. Bullard, ENG3.5 
 7. Ursu, ROM3.5 
 8. Gaudermann, GER3.5 
 9. Slouka, GRE3.3 
 10. Iiskola, FIN3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Ema MESTROVIC
  (168-F-93)
  Avg: 6
 1. Mestrovic, CRO6.0 
 2. Kallenberg, NED5.0 
 3. Pilv, EST5.0 
 4. Essenstam, NED5.0 
 5. Butter, NED4.0 
 6. Gaudermann, GER4.0 
 7. Saarinen, FIN3.7 
 8. Puljic, CRO3.5 
 9. Cursaru, ROM3.5 
 10. Dzinic, BIH3.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Temitope FAGBENLE
  (191-F-92)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Fagbenle, ENG3.5 
 2. Blanaru, ROM3.0 
 3. Dzinic, BIH2.5 
 4. Premasunac, CRO2.0 
 5. Murray, SCO1.5 
 6. Thompson, ENG1.5 
 7. Gajic, BIH1.5 
 8. Fogelstrom, DEN1.5 
 9. Baluta, ROM1.0 
 10. Hetto, LUX1.0 


Division B: Day Three in Timisoara - by Eurobasket News
Group A
Greece - Portugal 61-46
Greece stretched its winning streak to three and already secured a spot for the next stage. Artemis Spanou (185-F-93) stepped up with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. She was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 24. In Portugal (0-2), Daniela Domingues (176-F/G-92) delivered 10 points.

Luxembourg - Switzerland 43-57
Switzerland grabbed the first win in Timisoara mostly owing to Dorothee Studer (168-G-92), who had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Anissa Toumi (182-C/F-92) helped her team with 11 points and 5 boards. In Luxembourg (0-2), Jana Putz collected 11 pts and 7 boards.
Group B
Bosnia - Croatia 46-67
2-0 for Croatia and 0-2 for Bosnia after this game. Nina Premasunac (184-F-92) was the leading player in victory with double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Marina Dzinic (189-C-92) collected 16 points and 10 boards in defeat.

Denmark - Germany 64-59
Denmark outplayed Germany to join them with 1-1 record. Gritt Ryder (177-G-92) shined for the winners with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Finja Schaake (179-G/F-92) replied with 17 points and 6 boards in defeat.
Group C
Scotland - Estonia 45-60
Estonia celebrated 45-60 win against Scotland jumping to second place in Group C with 2-1 record (same as Finland). Maaja Bratka (186-C-92) top-scored for Estonia with 18 points. Erin McGarrachan (182-F-92) collected 15 points and 7 boards for Scotland, who stays winless at this event.

Finland - United Kingdom 47-51
Perfect 2-0 for the UK, who outplayed Finland today handing them the first loss. Temitope Fagbenle (191-F-92) exploded with 17 points and 15 rebounds in this victory. Annika Holopainen (186-F/C-93) delivered 15 points (6 rebs) in Finland, who slipped to 2-1.
Group D
Israel - Montenegro 75-80
Both teams were defeated in Day One. Montenegro celebrated today mostly owing to Kristina Rakovic (177-G-94), who collected 25 points and 14 rebounds. Israel got 20 points and 7 boards from Keren Mozes (176-F-93).

Holland - Belarus 60-85
The box-score will be available soon.

Division A: Preliminary Round is over in Poprad - by Eurobasket News
Group A
Serbia - Spain 47-73
Spain ended Preliminary Round with the perfect 3-0 record and of course advanced to the next stage as No.1 of Group A. Their leading player today was Yurena Diaz (176-G-93) with 15 points. Dijana Stancic (180-G/F-93) and Jovana Karakasevic (190-C/F-92) delivered 11 points each in loss. Their Serbia reached the Qualifying Round thanks to win against Hungary.
Slovakia - Hungary 58-51
Slovakia is the second ranked team of Group A with 2-1 record and they will move on to Qualifying Round. Hungary will fight for the survival in Division A as they ended this stage winless. Denisa Domiterova (178-G-92) had 12 points and 8 rebounds in Slovakia. Lilla Adamecz (181-F-92) netted 11 points in defeat.
Group B
Russia - Sweden 72-47
Russia was better than Sweden to finish this stage as No.1 of Group B. Sweden also goes to the next stage, but as No.3 of this pool. Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) came up with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Russia. Amanda Zahui (191-C-93) had 13 pts and 5 rebs in defeat.
Slovenia - Belgium 81-76
Slovenia advanced to Qualifying Round as the second ranked team of Group B with 2-1 record. Belgium failed to do the same as they finished this stage with poor 0-3. Nika Baric (169-G-92) drained 24 points for the winners and Tjasa Gortnar (185-F-92) added 22 pts, plus 12 rebounds. Hanne Mestdagh (179-F-93) had 16 pts and 12 boards in defeat.
Group C
Lithuania - Italy 54-72
Italy dominated against Lithuania to end Preliminary Round as No.1 of Group C with three wins. Lithuania slipped to second place and also reached the next stage. Marta Masoni (184-F-93) top-scored in Italy today with 13 points. Kriste Druskyte (181-F-92) delivered 15 points in defeat.
Latvia - Poland 52-59
Poland made it in do-or-die game against Latvia and advanced to Qualifying Round as No.3 of Group C. Paulina Kuras (170-G-92) paced her team to victory with 15 points. Anete Kirsteine (176-G/F-92) and Kristiana Stauere (194-C-92) had 12 points each in defeat. Their Poland will fight for the survival in Division A.
Group D
Ukraine - Turkey 84-74
Ukraine outplayed Turkey for the second place in Group D and both teams advanced to the next stage. Alina Iagupova (179-G-92) exploded once again and this time she scored 40 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Nihan Demirkol (172-G-92) had 23 pts in defeat.

Czech Republic - France 73-74
Another thriller win for France, who finished as No.1 of Group D and advanced to Qualifying Round. Helena Akmouche (174-G-92) shined for France with 23 points. Martina Cepelkova (183-F-92) had 17 points and 6 rebounds for Czech Republic, who ended with 0-3 and will be transferred to Group G.

W-Standings - Group A
Standings
Group A
1. Spain3-0
2. Slovakia2-1
3. Serbia1-2
4. Hungary0-3
Group B
1. Russia2-1
2. Slovenia2-1
3. Sweden2-1
4. Belgium0-3
Group C
1. Italy3-0
2. Lithuania2-1
3. Poland1-2
4. Latvia0-3
Group D
1. France3-0
2. Ukraine2-1
3. Turkey1-2
4. Czech Repub.0-3


Standings - Division B - by Eurobasket News
Standings Div.B
Group A
1. Greece3-0
2. Romania2-0
3. Switzerlan.1-2
4. Luxembourg.0-2
5. Portugal0-2
Group B
1. Croatia2-0
2. Denmark1-1
3. Germany1-1
4. Bosnia0-2
Group C
1. U.Kingdom2-0
2. Estonia2-1
3. Finland2-1
4. Scotland0-2
5. Bulgaria0-2
Group D
1. Belarus2-0
2. Montenegro.1-1
3. Holland1-1
4. Israel0-2


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  GREECE - Women  


Panathinaikos Athens sign Gabriela Marginean - by Eurobasket
Panathinaikos Athens signed 23-year old Romanian forward Gabriela Marginean (185-F-87, college: Drexel). Marginean was just drafted by Minnesota Lynx (WNBA). However she was cut from the roster in May. She had a very successful season in Drexel University, where was selected to All-CAA 1st Team 10. Her stats were: 31 games: 23.5ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.9spg. Margineau was just called to Romanian National Team.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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  KENYA - Women  


U18 Women CAN: Angola in narrow lose to Kenya 72-74 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Kenya U18 Women national team Friday proved a point that they are not in Egypt for sight-seeing as they go past Angola by 74-72 points in their second Group-A game.
The Kenya young ladies who lost to Egypt Thursday by 87-40 points rose to the challenges poised by the Angola coming back from an initial set-back in the first quarter of 16-10 points lose to snatched the second quarter by 26-17 points to go into the half-time break with a three points advantage of 36-33 points.
Not wanting to bow to the determination of the Kenyan, Angola quickly put its act together at the resumption of play in the third quarter winning by 20-15 points to take a one point lead into the last quarter (53-52) but it was the Kenya who laughed last as they rallied to a 22-19 points victory in the last quarter to win by 74-72 points.
Four games are on the bill today as the championship enter Day-3 with Tunisia taking on Kenya at 14H00 in Group-A, defending champion Mali will do battle against Mozambique at 16H00 in Group-B.
Senegal and Angola will take their turn in Group-A at 18H00 while Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote dIvoire will taste action for the first time since the championship dunked-off Thursday in a Group-B pairing at 20H00. As host Egypt and Nigeria are drawn bye.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye

*****************************************************
  MALI - Women  


U18 Women CAN: As Mali bow to Nigeria 47-65 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
The hope of defending champion, Mali of defending the title she won two years ago in Tunis, Tunisia was slowed down Friday in the ongoing FIBA Africa Championship for U18 Women by Nigeria who rallied to its second straight with a 65-47 points victory.
The Nigerian young ladies powered on by the duo of Uju Ugoka and Ijeoma Uchendu both recording double double figures of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals had earlier on Thursday defeated Mozambique 66-48 points to send signal of her readiness to contest for the title in Cairo.
The Nigeria team coached by the duo of Adewumi Aderemi and Peter Ahmedu won in all four quarters by 20-15, 15-10, 14-13 and 16-09 points to go past the defending champion who will take on Mozambique today at 16H00.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye

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  NIGERIA - Women  


U18 Women CAN: As Mali bow to Nigeria 47-65 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
The hope of defending champion, Mali of defending the title she won two years ago in Tunis, Tunisia was slowed down Friday in the ongoing FIBA Africa Championship for U18 Women by Nigeria who rallied to its second straight with a 65-47 points victory.
The Nigerian young ladies powered on by the duo of Uju Ugoka and Ijeoma Uchendu both recording double double figures of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals had earlier on Thursday defeated Mozambique 66-48 points to send signal of her readiness to contest for the title in Cairo.
The Nigeria team coached by the duo of Adewumi Aderemi and Peter Ahmedu won in all four quarters by 20-15, 15-10, 14-13 and 16-09 points to go past the defending champion who will take on Mozambique today at 16H00.
Day-1 Results
Nigeria 66-48 Mozambique
Kenya 40-87 Egypt
Angola 55-48 Tunisia
Day-2 Results
Mali 47-65 Nigeria
Angola 72-74 Kenya
Senegal 31-89 Egypt
Day-3 Games
Tunisia Vs Kenya 14H00
Mali Vs Mozambique 16H00
Senegal Vs Angola 18H00
Congo DRC Vs Cote dIvoire 20H00
Egypt, Nigeria Bye

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  ROMANIA - Women  


Romanian National Team 2010 - by Kasia
#s#
Paula Cristina Ciocan
Ciocan
Florina Diacona
Diacona
Simina Mandache
Mandache
Gabriela Marginean
Marginean
Anita Meszaros
Meszaros
#e#5
Paula Cristina Ciocan 183-G-82 ICIM Arad Romania
Florina Diacona 176-G-82 Sf. Gheorghe Romania
Simina Mandache 185-F-81 Alcamo Italy
Gabriela Marginean 185-F-87 Panathinaikos Greece
Anita Meszaros 190-C-88 ICIM Arad Romania
AnneMarie Parau 175-G-84 Targoviste Romania
Florina Pascalau 193-C-82 Priolo Italy
Elisabeth Pavel 192-C-90 Napoli GCC Italy
Claudia Pop 186-F-89 Satu Mare Romania
Georgiana Rus 189-F-87 Alexandria Romania
Ancuta Stoenescu 171-G-80 ICIM Arad Romania
Alexandra Uiuiu 180-F-89 Targoviste Romania

Gheorghe Mandache Head Coach


Panathinaikos Athens sign Gabriela Marginean - by Eurobasket
Panathinaikos Athens signed 23-year old Romanian forward Gabriela Marginean (185-F-87, college: Drexel). Marginean was just drafted by Minnesota Lynx (WNBA). However she was cut from the roster in May. She had a very successful season in Drexel University, where was selected to All-CAA 1st Team 10. Her stats were: 31 games: 23.5ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.9spg. Margineau was just called to Romanian National Team.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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  RUSSIA - Women  


Slovak Republic edge Russia in Kosice - by Eurobasket News
Slovak Republic - Russia 69:64
Slovak Republic earned the first win at the international tournament in Kosice. They held off Russia for 1-0 record. Luisa Michulkova (179-F-84) scored 14 points to lead the effort.
Slovak Republic surged ahead in the opening frame. The hosts piled up a 21:15 lead ten minutes into the game. Russia slowed their opponents down in the second frame. The visitors outgunned Slovak Republic to trail by just three points at the interval 35:38. Slovak Republic took over in the third term. They limited Russia to just 14 points in the quarter stretching the lead to as many as 7 points with ten minutes to go. Russia tried hard to erase the deficit. They outscored the home team in the final frame but still came up short of victory. Zuzana Zirkova (175-F/G-80) provided 12 points for Slovak Republic. Ivana Jalcova (182-G-83) finished with 9 points in the win. Elena Danilochkina (184-G-86) responded with 13 points for Russia. Marina Karpunina (178-G-84) had 12 points in the defeat.

Slovak Republic: Luisa Michulkova 14, Zuzana Zirkova 12, Ivana Jalcova 9
Russia: Elena Danilochkina 13, Marina Karpunina 12


Dynamo Moscow sign Natalia Marchanka - by Eurobasket
Dynamo Moscow strengthened their roster with addition of 31-year old Belarusian international guard Natalia Marchanka (170-G-79). Marchanka played most recently at Municipal MCM Targoviste (Romania). Marchanka is a very experienced player. She played also pro basketball in China, Poland and Romania.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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  SERBIA - Women  


Jelena Milovanovic leads Serbia past Brazil - by Eurobasket News
Serbia - Brazil 82:78
Serbia clinched the first win at the international tournament in Kosice, Slovak Republic. They outlasted the Latin American powerhouse Brazil. Jelena Milovanovic (190-F-89) was pivotal with 20 points for Serbia.
The European team earned a narrow 20:17 lead at the first break. Serbia maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter. They posted a 43:35 lead at the main break. Brazil however bounced back in the third term. The Latin American side exploded with 29 points to erase the deficit. Brazil headed into the fourth quarter up by 4 points. Serbia did not surrender and found the way to snatch the victory. Jelena Milovanovic and Jelena Maksimovic (192-C-82) came up strong in the fourth term and helped Serbia open win count at the tournament.
Milica Dabovic (175-G-82, agency: 011 Sports) knocked down 18 points for Serbia. Jelena Maksimovic added 11 points in the victory. Helen Santos Luz (176-G-72) responded with 18 points for Brazil. Palmira Marcal (178-G-84) accounted for 12 points in the loss.

Serbia: Jelena Milovanovic 20, Milica Dabovic 18, Jelena Maksimovic 11
Brazil: Helen Santos Luz 18, Palmira Marcal 12



Ines Kresovic heads to Mann Filter - by Eurobasket News
Ines Kresovic (182-G-84) heads to Mann Filter and will help the team in 2010/2011 season. The Serbian player started her career in 2004-2005 for Crvena Zvezda Beograd (1A, starting five) and continued there for two years. In 2005-2006 for Crvena Zvezda Beograd (1A, starting five) she averaged 23,5mpg,13,3ppg,3,8rpg,2,2apg. In December 2005 she signed at Besiktas Istanbul (Turkey-D1) and in EuroCup debuted with 4.0ppg, 0.5rpg, 0.0apg, played also at Erdemir (Turkey-D1) Turkish League and after 10 games had 12.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.1apg, 2FGP: 38.0%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 88.0%. In 2006-2007 moved to San Raffaele Roma (Italy-A1, starting five) and in 33 games showed 13.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.2spg, 2FGP: 42,4%, 3PT: 34,8%, FT: 83,8%. In 2007-2008 appeared for Pays d'Aix Basket 13 Provence (France-LFB) and in EuroCup after 8 games had 10.1ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 30.2%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 90.5%. In French League after 29 games Ines Kresovic averaged 8.1ppg, 3.3rpg, 2FGP: 43.1%, 3PT: 18.7%, FT: 83.7%. In 2008-2009 played for Gran Canaria La Caja de Canarias (Spain-LFB) and in EuroCup after 6 games had 14.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 2.2apg, 1.0spg, while in Spanish League after 22 games averaged 14.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 38.7%, 3PT: 29.8%, FT: 80.4%. Last season the Serbian player appeared for Olesa Espanyol (Spain-LFB). She recorded 26 points again her new team Mann Filter at the Regular Season Round 15 when Olesa beat Mann Filter 83:72. Ines Kresovic and Michelle Maslowski were on fire with 26 and 22 points respectively. Each of them also pulled down 6 rebounds in this meeting. Visitors got 17 points and 7 boards from Agne Ciudariene.



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  SLOVAKIA - Women  


Slovak Republic edge Russia in Kosice - by Eurobasket News
Slovak Republic - Russia 69:64
Slovak Republic earned the first win at the international tournament in Kosice. They held off Russia for 1-0 record. Luisa Michulkova (179-F-84) scored 14 points to lead the effort.
Slovak Republic surged ahead in the opening frame. The hosts piled up a 21:15 lead ten minutes into the game. Russia slowed their opponents down in the second frame. The visitors outgunned Slovak Republic to trail by just three points at the interval 35:38. Slovak Republic took over in the third term. They limited Russia to just 14 points in the quarter stretching the lead to as many as 7 points with ten minutes to go. Russia tried hard to erase the deficit. They outscored the home team in the final frame but still came up short of victory. Zuzana Zirkova (175-F/G-80) provided 12 points for Slovak Republic. Ivana Jalcova (182-G-83) finished with 9 points in the win. Elena Danilochkina (184-G-86) responded with 13 points for Russia. Marina Karpunina (178-G-84) had 12 points in the defeat.

Slovak Republic: Luisa Michulkova 14, Zuzana Zirkova 12, Ivana Jalcova 9
Russia: Elena Danilochkina 13, Marina Karpunina 12


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  SLOVENIA - Women  


Lucky win for Bosnia, Pirsic suffered nasal fracture - by Zeljko Zule
In the first of two warm-up games, Slovenia went down 69-70 to Bosnia. There remained five seconds on the clock after Emina Demirovic's hit two game-winning free, and Slovenia nearly executed a play to win. But Martina Dover (177-G-86)'s shot came just after the buzzer sounded and was waved off by referees.

Slovenian Sandra Pirsic (195-C-84) suffered a nasal fracture in the last quarter when she caught an accidental elbow from Emira Demirovic. Pirsic underwent surgery and will be sidelined six weeks.
SLOVENIA 69 (13+26+7+23): Erkic 17, Radulovic 2, Panic 5, Temnik 8, Dover 5, Komplet 10, Oblak 5, Trebec 8, Jagodic, Ilijev, Pavli, Pirsic 9.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (12+21+22+15): Deura, Surlan, Kajtaz, Gagic 3, Stupar 18, Kovacevic 1, Tavic 17, Omberasic, Kecojevic, Demirovic 16, Rados, Hamsic 15.




*****************************************************
  SPAIN - Women  


Ines Kresovic heads to Mann Filter - by Eurobasket News
Ines Kresovic (182-G-84) heads to Mann Filter and will help the team in 2010/2011 season. The Serbian player started her career in 2004-2005 for Crvena Zvezda Beograd (1A, starting five) and continued there for two years. In 2005-2006 for Crvena Zvezda Beograd (1A, starting five) she averaged 23,5mpg,13,3ppg,3,8rpg,2,2apg. In December 2005 she signed at Besiktas Istanbul (Turkey-D1) and in EuroCup debuted with 4.0ppg, 0.5rpg, 0.0apg, played also at Erdemir (Turkey-D1) Turkish League and after 10 games had 12.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.1apg, 2FGP: 38.0%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 88.0%. In 2006-2007 moved to San Raffaele Roma (Italy-A1, starting five) and in 33 games showed 13.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.2spg, 2FGP: 42,4%, 3PT: 34,8%, FT: 83,8%. In 2007-2008 appeared for Pays d'Aix Basket 13 Provence (France-LFB) and in EuroCup after 8 games had 10.1ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 30.2%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 90.5%. In French League after 29 games Ines Kresovic averaged 8.1ppg, 3.3rpg, 2FGP: 43.1%, 3PT: 18.7%, FT: 83.7%. In 2008-2009 played for Gran Canaria La Caja de Canarias (Spain-LFB) and in EuroCup after 6 games had 14.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 2.2apg, 1.0spg, while in Spanish League after 22 games averaged 14.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 38.7%, 3PT: 29.8%, FT: 80.4%. Last season the Serbian player appeared for Olesa Espanyol (Spain-LFB). She recorded 26 points again her new team Mann Filter at the Regular Season Round 15 when Olesa beat Mann Filter 83:72. Ines Kresovic and Michelle Maslowski were on fire with 26 and 22 points respectively. Each of them also pulled down 6 rebounds in this meeting. Visitors got 17 points and 7 boards from Agne Ciudariene.