E.CHAMPS U16 Classification Round Standings Group G 1. Czech R. 3-0 2. Russia 2-1 3. Slovenia 1-2 4. Portugal 0-3 E.CHAMPS U16 Qualifying Round Standings Group E 1. Serbia 5-0 2. Spain 4-1 3. France 3-2 4. Italy 2-3 5. Georgia 1-4 6. Israel 0-5 Group F 1. Turkey 5-0 2. Lithuan. 4-1 3. Greece 3-2 4. Croatia 2-3 5. Latvia 1-4 6. Ukraine 0-5 E.CHAMPS U16 Preliminary Round Standings Group A 1. Spain 3-0 2. Italy 2-1 3. Slovenia 0-2 4. Georgia 0-2 Group B 1. Serbia 3-0 2. France 2-1 3. Israel 0-2 4. Czech R. 0-2 Group C 1. Turkey 3-0 2. Lithuan. 2-1 3. Ukraine 1-2 4. Portugal 0-3 Group D 1. Greece 3-0 2. Latvia 1-2 3. Russia 1-2 4. Croatia 1-2 E.CHAMPS U16 Classification Round Standings Div.B Group G 1. Finland 3-0 2. Germany 2-1 3. Austria 1-2 4. Ireland 0-3 Group H 1. Estonia 3-0 2. Belgium 2-1 3. Slovakia 1-2 4. Belarus 0-3 E.CHAMPS U16 Qualifying Round Standings Div.B Group E 1. Sweden 3-0 2. U.Kingd. 2-1 3. Monten. 1-2 4. Bosnia 0-3 Group F 1. Hungary 3-0 2. Poland 2-1 3. Holland 1-2 4. Cyprus 0-3 E.CHAMPS U16 Preliminary Round Standings Div.B Group A 1. Finland 4-1 2. Monten. 3-1 3. Sweden 3-1 4. Germany 2-2 5. Norway 1-3 6. Romania 0-5 Group B 1. U.Kingd. 3-0 2. Austria 2-1 3. Bosnia 2-1 4. Ireland 1-3 5. Armenia 0-3 Group C 1. Hungary 3-0 2. Holland 3-1 3. Belgium 1-2 4. Bulgaria 1-2 5. Belarus 0-3 Group D 1. Poland 3-0 2. Cyprus 3-1 3. Estonia 2-2 4. Slovakia 1-3 5. FYR Mac. 0-3 E.CHAMPS U16 Final Standings 1. Serbia 2. Spain 3. Lithuan. 4. Turkey 5. Italy 6. France 7. Greece 8. Croatia 9. Latvia 10. Ukraine 11. Israel 12. Georgia 13. Czech R. 14. Russia 15. Slovenia 16. Portugal E.CHAMPS U16 Final Standings Div.B 1. Poland 2. Hungary 3. Sweden 4. U.Kingd. 5. Bosnia 6. Monten. 7. Holland 8. Cyprus 9. Belgium 10. Germany 11. Finland 12. Estonia 13. Slovakia 14. Austria 15. Belarus 16. Ireland 17. Bulgaria 18. FYR Mac. 19. Romania 10. Norway Stats Leaders Points 1 T. Prostran, CRO 20.0 2 C. Mutaf, TUR 18.3 3 J. Antrops, LAT 16.9 4 Angelopou. GRE 16.5  5 D. Musli, SRB 16.3 Rebounds 1 Satoransky, CZE 12.3 2 D. Musli, SRB 11.8 3 E. Kanter, TUR 9.8 4 N. Melli, ITA 9.8 5 A. Butjankovs, LAT 8.5 Assists 1 Satoransky, CZE 4.7 2 F. Toz, TUR 4.6 3 J. De Pablo, ESP 4.0 4 N. Vukasovic, SRB 3.6 5 H. Karlis, LAT 3.4 Stats Leaders Div.B Points 1 R. Grznar, SVK 27.8 2 P. Hristov, BUL 20.0 3 Szymanski, POL 20.0 4 Eilingsfeld, HUN 19.9 5 J. van Vugt, NED 19.4 Rebounds 1 S. Pop, ROM 13.0 2 P. Hristov, BUL 12.6 3 Eilingsfeld, HUN 11.7 4 R. Richards, ENG 11.6 5 A. Lepsenyi, HUN 10.0 Assists 1 S. Lazovic, MNT 6.3 2 Z. Lakosa, HUN 5.1 3 T. Deroover, BEL 4.3 4 A. Nikkarinen, FIN 4.1 5 K. Khataian, ENG 3.5

Serbia won European Championships U16 Men 2007 (Photo: Fiba)

Serbian U16 National Team 2007
Jaramaz	Vukasovic	Andjusic	Radosavljevic	Musli

4 Nemanja Jaramaz (195-G-91) of Partizan II Beograd
5 Aleksandar Ponjavic (194-F-91)
6 Niksa Nikolic (186-G-91)
7 Aleksandar Obradovic (193-G-91)
8 Nikola Vukasovic (190-G-91)
9 Stevan Lekic (198-F-91)
10 Danilo Andjusic (190-G-91)
11 Lazar Radosavljevic (203-F-91) of KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
12 Bogdan Jovanovic (206-C-91)
13 Nikola Rondovic (204-F-91)
14 Branislav Djekic (204-F-91) of FMP Zeleznik Beograd
15 Dejan Musli (213-C-91) of FMP II Beograd

Janis Antrops (187-G-91) topscored for Latvia with 17 points. Harijs Rubenis (199-F-91) contributed 10 points for the winners. Danylo Maznyev answered with game-high 18 points for Ukraine. Maks Konate provided 10 points and 10 rebounds in a loss.

Latvia U16: Janis Antrops 17, Harijs Rubenis 10
Ukraine U16: Danylo Maznyev 18, Maks Konate 10+10 boards

11th-12th spots

Israel U16 - Georgia U16 77:64
Israeli U16 national team completed their European championship campaign with a confident victory over Georgia. The win meant Israel finished the tournament at the 11th overall spot. The teams kept it close in the opening frame and lead changed hands for a couple of times throughout the quarter. Guy Dotan nailed 5 straight points to cap the quarter and tied the scoreline at 22. David Shamriz (183-G-91) dropped 2 three pointers early in the second frame to give Israel a 32:24 advantage. Guy Dotan was again the last one to score in the quarter as his free throws marked a 40:33 Israeli lead at halftime. Israel maintained the dominance throughout the third quarter and extended the gap to 59:47 at the end of it. Georgia came as close as 8 points with under 3 minutes remaining in regulation on Tornike Shengelia's free throws. However Guy Dotan chipped in 4 points for Israel and never allowed Georgia to strike at the end of the game.
David Shamriz ensured 20 points for Israel. Carmel Bouchman (196-F-91) added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Beqa Chikviladze (195-G-91) replied with 13 points and 5 rebounds for Georgia. Givi Bakradze (184-G-91) had 12 points in a losing clause.
Israel dominated the boards 51:43. They also limited Georgia to 45% accuracy from two point range and 23.1% from beyond the arc. Georgia committed as many as 26 personal fouls, while Israel had only 19.

Israel U16: David Shamriz 20, Carmel Bouchman 15+12 boards
Georgia U16: Beqa Chikviladze 13, Givi Bakradze 12


   Division B: The ladder is being finalized, the champion still unknown - Jul. 29, 2007 
19th-20th spots

Romania U16 - Norway U16 85:62
Romanian team finished their U16 European championship campaign with a win over Norway. Romania completed the tournament at the 19th overall place.
Romanian players dominated the first half of the game and drove to a 46:32 advantage at halftime. Ciprian Telinoiu (175-G-91) drained 5 straight points midway through the third quarter to put Romania ahead 57:35. Establishing an unassailbale lead Romania cruised to a victory in the fourth quarter. Tudor Pintea (190-F-91) scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to pace Romania. Ciprian Telinoiu added 19 points, while Cristian Corneanu (-91) produced 12 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Stian Guhnfeldt (196-F-91) topscored for Norway with 12 points. Halvor Poulsson (189-F-91) ensured 9 points in a loss.

Romania U16: Tudor Pintea 19+11 boards, Ciprian Telinoiu 19, Cristian Corneanu 12+13 boards
Norway U16: Stian Guhnfeldt 12, Halvor Poulsson 9

17th-18th spots

Macedonia U16 - Bulgaria U16 62:84
Macedonia were unable to entertain the home crowd in the last enounter of the U16 European championship in Skopje. They were beaten by Bulgaria in the clash for the 17th place today. Bulgaria grabbed an early lead 18:12 and controlled the game in the second quarter. Plamen Hristov (196-F-91) nailed 9 points in the second frame to pace Bulgaria to a 39:24 advantage at halftime. Bulgaria extended the gap in the third quarter as they closed it with a 10:0 run to establish a 62:34 lead entering the final frame. Macedonia just managed to succeed in the final stanza outscoring their opponents 28:22 but with little impact on the outcome.
Plamen Hristov finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds for Bulgaria. Georgi Sirakov (184-G-92) contributed another 20 points in win. Dzaner Osman (-91) produced 15 points for Macedonia. Kosta Gakidev (-91) netted 12 points for the home side.
Bulgaria shot solid 50.9% of two point attempts and 31.6% from beyond the arc. Macedonia converted 34.5% of field goals and knocked down just 20% of three pointers.

Macedonia U16: Dzaner Osman 15, Kosta Gakidev 12
Bulgaria U16: Plamen Hristov 27+17 boards, Georgi Sirakov 20


15th-16th spots


Belarus U16 - Ireland U16 72:56
Belarusian U16 national team celebrated a win over Ireland on the last day of the European championship in Macedonia. Belarus toppled Ireland 72:56 to clinch the 15th overall spot in the ladder.
Ireland led 22:14 after the opening frame however Belarus emerged strong in the second and cut the deficit to just 2 points 34:36 at halftime. Belarus surged ahead in the third frame and entered the final stanza leading 49:48. Ireland seemed to run out of steam in the fourth quarter as Belarus cruised to an overall victory at the end smashing Irish team 23:8 in the stanza.
Andrei Tsyvinski (196-G-91) had 22 points to pace Belarus. Vitali Kazlouski (196-F-91) added 18 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Liam Conroy (180-G-91) posted game-high 25 points and 7 rebounds for Ireland. Declan Kearney (191-G-91) finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds in a defeat.

Belarus U16: Andrei Tsyvinski 22, Vitali Kazlouski 18+16 boards
Ireland U16: Liam Conroy 25, Declan Kearney 13


13th-14th spots

Slovakia U16 - Austria U16 75:74
Slovakia U16: Richard Grznar (187-G-91) 33, Tomas Nemcok (-91) 11
Austria U16: Drazen Kljajic (193-F-91) 19, Nikolaus Teleu (183-G-91) 15

9th-10th spots

Belgium U16 - Germany U16 78:64
Belgium U16: Yannick Moray (-91) 20, Mathieu Libert (180-G-91) 12
Germany U16: Niels Giffey (198-F-91) 15, Alexander Andreev (207-C-91) 13

7th-8th spots

Netherlands U16 - Cyprus U16 77:51
Netherlands U16: Jeroen van Vugt (194-G-91) 22, Joost Padberg (202-C-91) 14
Cyprus U16: Andreas Andreou (196-F-91) 13+10 boards, Christos Panayiotou (196-C/F-91) 11

5th-6th spots

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 - Montenegro U16 86:80
Bosnia and Herzegovina produced a little miracle as they revived from a massive deficit to edge Montenegro and celebrate the 5th spot at the U16 European championship in Macedonia. Montenegro had a comfortable 44:22 lead at halftime and seemed to be om the way to the victory in the game. However Bosnia and Herzegovina team emerged strong in the second half and outscored Montenegro 31:10 in the final quarter to seal the win in the game.

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Remzudin Hasic (-91) 20+12 boards, Ali Demic (198-G-91) 15
Montenegro U16: Aleksandar Dobrovic (-91) 14, Marko Loncovic (-91) 13+12 boards


   Division A: Spain will defend their title against still undefeated Serbia  - Jul. 29, 2007
Semifinals

Lithuania U16 - Serbia U16 64:74
Lithuanian U16 National team were very close to the Final game of the European championship in Greece however Serbia proved strength at the end and celebrated a hard-fought victory.
Serbia got to a slightly better start of the game as they gained a 20:15 advantage after the opening frame. Lithuania surged ahead on Mantas Kadzevicius' trey 5 minutes into the second quarter. He later connected with another long range jumper to establish a 27:24 lead fro Lithuania. Baltic team secured a 32:30 advantage at halftime. Some successful offensive plays from Ovidijus Varanauskas (184-G-91) and Gilvydas Biruta ensured a 54:42 lead for Lithuania midway through the third quarter. Dejan Musli (213-C-91) however answered with 4 straight points for Serbia and cut the deficit to 49:54 at the end of the third quarter. Serbia surged ahead with under 4 miuntes to go in regulation. Serbia were in front 63:62 when Dejan Musli drained 4 consecutive points to give Serbia a comfortable 67:62 advantage with 1 minute remaining. Lithuania did not find enough strength to comeback into this one. Musli dunked the ball home to cap the game and lift Serbia into the Final game.
Dejan Musli topscored for Serbia with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. Nemanja Jaramaz (195-G-91) produced 13 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Ovidijus Varanauskas and Augustas Peciukevicius (190-G-91) secured 16 points apiece for Lithuania. Gilvydas Biruta scored 13 points in a losing effort.
Lithuania will now play against Turkey for the third spot today. Serbia faces Spain in today's title decider.

Lithuania U16: Ovidijus Varanauskas 16, Augustas Peciukevicius 16
Serbia U16: Dejan Musli 20+11 boards, Nemanja Jaramaz 13


Spain U16 - Turkey U16 81:75
Spanish U16 National team made another step towards defending their U16 European championship title beating Turkey in yesteday's semifinal. Turkish team entered the contest undefeated and hoped to add one more victory to their collection. However Spain emerged impressive in the second half to cease any hopes of Turkish team to play in the Final.
Both teams played a close basketball in the first quarter as Spaniards managed to secure a 22:21 advantage on Miguel Ortega's free throws. Turkey though had a strong momentum at the end of the second quarter and drove away to a 50:38 distance at halftime. They maintained the lead throughout the third quarter allowing Spain just cut it to 5 points 58:63.
Spain went ahead 6 minutes into the final frame when Alberto Jodar (203-F/C-91) connected from beyond the arc. He then added two free throws and Josep De Pablo (190-G-91) hit two more from charity stripe to lift Spain to a 78:73 advantage with 33 seconds left. Pertev Onguner replied with two free throws for Turkey to narrow the gap to 75:78. However Josep De Pablo penetrated to the basket and scored an easy layup to seal the victory for Spain.
Josep De Pablo led Spain with 22 points. Alberto Jodar produced 18 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Can Maxim Mutaf (192-G-91) secured 20 points for Turkey. Enes Kanter (204-C-92) had 14 points and 14 rebounds in a losing effort.
Spain will now face Serbia in today's Final. Turkey will take on Lithuania in the Bronze medals game later tonight.

Spain U16: Josep De Pablo 22, Alberto Jodar 18+12 boards
Turkey U16: Can Maxim Mutaf (192-G-91) 20, Enes Kanter 14+14 boards

   Division B: Poland and Hungary will decide on the winner - Jul. 29, 2007 
Semifinals

England U16 - Hungary U16 77:101
England U16 national team suffered a stunning loss in yesterday's semifinal against Hungary. They will now play against Sweden in the Bronze medals game today.
Hungarian team capped the opening frame with a 6:0 run to clear off to a 27:17 distance. Adam Csernak hit a trey and Zsolt Lakosa added a two point play to extend the lead to 35:17 at the start of the second quarter. Adam Thoseby (194-F-91) nailed 5 straight points midway through the frame to cut the deficit to 27:40. Kamran Khataian completed the first half with an impressive dunk to put England as close as 35:46 at halftime.
Hungary maintained the lead throughout the third quarter and Adam Lepsenyi (201-C-91, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) scored 8 points in the stanza to help Hungary stay in front. Adam Csernak and Adam Lepsenyi connected from afar to bridge between the quarters and gave Hungary an unassailable 73:55 lead. England struggled to find the right rhythm and had to surrender at the end.
Adam Lepsenyi nailed game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Hungary. Janos Eilingsfeld (198-F/C-91) added 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Zsolt Lakosa contributed 17 points and 11 assists for the winners. Ryan Richards (205-F-91) produced 27 points and 14 rebounds for England. Adam Thoseby had 15 points in a losing effort.
England plays versus Sweden later tonight. Hungary will face Poland in today's Final.

England U16: Ryan Richards 27+14 boards, Adam Thoseby 15
Hungary U16: Adam Lepsenyi 30+10 boards, Janos Eilingsfeld 25+11 boards



Poland U16 - Sweden U16 69:67
Poland survived a late comeback effort from Sweden to succeed in the semifinal of the European championship in Macedonia. They will now play against Hungary in today's final game.
Poland used a 14:0 run midway through the final quarter to accumulate an early 20:7 lead. Wojciech Fras (202-F-91) then nailed 5 straight points to lift Poland to 27:13 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Poland maintained the gap throughout the second frame and rolled to a 41:26 advantage at halftime. Sweden emerged strong in the third frame as Niklas Sellin (197-F-91) and Christopher Czerapowicz led balanced Swedish offense. They cut the deficit to 45:52 entering the fourth frame. Andreas Person's jump shot closed narrowed the gap to 59:61 midway through the fourth quarter. Alexander Lindqvist (202-G-91) tied the scoreline at 64 with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation. Patryk Scigala and Jacek Waszak nailed from the center range to put Poland back to a 68:64 distance. Czerapowicz responded with two free throws to make it 66:68 game with 23 seconds on the clock. Wojciech Fras got fouled with 17 seconds left and hit his first free throw attempt. However Patryk Scigala grabbed an offensive rebound and Poland killed 14 seconds before Sebastian Szymanski (182-G-91) missed a jumper. Andreas Person was fouled with 3 seconds remaining and converted one of two free throws. Poland though secured defensive rebound and celebrated an overall victory at the end.
Sebastian Szymanski finished with game-high 16 points. Wojciech Fras provided 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Alexander Lindqvist had 15 points and 9 rebounds for Sweden. Niklas Sellin and Olof Jagbeck (188-G-91) added 10 points apiece in a defeat.
Sweden takes on England in today's Bronze medals game.

Poland U16: Sebastian Szymanski 16, Wojciech Fras 14+13 rebounds
Sweden U16: Alexander Lindqvist 15, Niklas Sellin 10, Olof Jagbeck 10


   Division B: Everything is ready for semifinals - Jul. 28, 2007 
Group E

Sweden U16 - Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 75:65
Sweden secured thier place on top of qualifying Group E. They overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina team yesterday and improved to 3-0 record atop the ladder.
Two straight three pointers from Christopher Czerapowicz (192-G-91) and Alexander Lindqvist set the right tone for Sweden and they rushed ahead. They gained a 20:13 advantage after the first frame and opened the second with a 9:0 run to clear off to a safe distance. Olof Jagbeck (188-G-91) and Alexander Lindqvist nailed three free throws to cap the first half and gave Sweden a 39:27 lead.
The gap reached a 58:39 mark on a trey from Olof Jagbeck but Bosnia and Herzegovina scored 6 straight points at the end of the third quarter and cut the deficit to 45:58. Sweden though controlled the game and did not allow Bosnia and Hezegovina to come to a striking distance in the final stanza.
Olof Jagbeck led his team with 20 points. Christopher Czerapowicz provided 12 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Miralem Halilovic (-91) nailed game-high 21 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Josip Gunjaca (196-F-91) had 9 points in a losing effort. Sweden dominated the boards 52:38 but committed 32 turnovers at the same time. Bosnia and Herzegovina struggled defensively and fouled 29 times, while Sweden knocked down 65.7% from free throw line.
Sweden faces Poland in today's semifinal. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes on Netherlands in classification round for the 5th-8th places.

Sweden U16: Olof Jagbeck 20, Christopher Czerapowicz 12
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Miralem Halilovic 21, Josip Gunjaca 9


England U16 - Montenegro U16 64:61
England sealed a narrow victory over Montenegro and advanced to the semifinal stage of the U16 European championship in Macedonia. That was a live or die battle for both sides as the semifinal birth was at stake. It dictated the pace of the game as the teams tried to keep it close in the opening frame. Montengro took an early lead when Aleksandar Dobrovic (-91) sparked with three consecutive treys and added one more jumper to lift his team to a 11:2 advantage 4 minutes into the game. However England gradually found their rhythm and Raheem May-Thompson (-91)'s dunk put them in front 18:17 at the end of the first frame.
England posted some strong offensive plays in the second quarter and performed a tight defence to maintain the lead at 37:26 after the first frame. Montenegro came as close as 4 points in the third quarter and the teams entered the final quarter with Montenegro trailing 49:53.
Mihailo Sekulovic and Jovan Teodorovic ensured a tie game one minute into the fourth frame. The teams remained at a striking distance before Joshua Houghton drained a three pointer to establish a 63:59 lead with less than 2 minutes to go. Both teams kept it scoreless for more than a minute until Mihailo Sekulovic tapped the ball in and closed the gap to 61:63. Michael Manghhum responded with one converted free throw. Montenegro had 33 seconds left to force overtime but Loncovic and Teodorovic missed their opportunities and the chance to play in the semifinal.
Levi Noel (194-G-91) led England with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Raheem May-Thompson added 12 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Stevan Lazovic (-91) finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 5 steals for Montenegro. Aleksandar Dobrovic dropped 13 points in a loss.
Engalnd will now play against Hungary in the semifinal. Montenegro faces Cyprus in classification round for the 5th-8th spots.

England U16: Levi Noel 19+9 boards, Raheem May-Thompson 12+9 boards
Montenegro U16: Stevan Lazovic 17, Aleksandar Dobrovic 13


Group F

Poland U16 - Hungary U16 79:92
Polish U16 National team advanced to the semifinal stage of the European championship in Macedonia. They booked their ticket even despite the defeat from Hungary in the last game of the qualifying round. Poland secured the second spot in Group F and will now face Sweden in today's semifinal clash.
Poland actually remained the only undefeated team at the tournament before the game. But Hungary ceased this pleasant Polish streak and handed them the first loss. Hungarian players dominated the game right from the start and accumulated a 58:33 lead at halftime. Poland did not manage to get closer in the third quarter and trailed by 22 points entering the final frame. However Polish players opened the fourth frame with a 12:2 run and came within 13 points. Hungary though did not let Poland any closer and celebrated victory at the end.
Adam Lepsenyi (201-C-91, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) netted 19 points and grabbed 16 boards to lead Hungary. Janos Eilingsfeld (198-F/C-91) secured another 16 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Bartosz Zajac (197-F-91) answered with 16 points for Poland. Tomasz Kumiszcza (183-G-91) had 12 points in a losing effort.
Poland will play against Sweden later tonight. Hungary faces England in the next semifinal.

Poland U16: Bartosz Zajac 16, Tomasz Kumiszcza 12
Hungary U16: Adam Lepsenyi 19+16 boards, Janos Eilingsfeld 16+11 boards


Netherlands U16 - Cyprus U16 50:39
In a low-scoring affair Netherlands celebrated a win over Cyprus to finish at the third spot in Group F. They used a strong fourth frame to clear off Cyprus and roll to a victory. Stefan Mulder (-91) led the action with 13 points and 5 steals. Christos Panayiotou (196-C/F-91) delivered 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists for Cyprus.
Netherlands will now face Bosnia and Herzegovina in classification round for the 5th-8th spots. Cyprus takes on Montenegro later today.

Netherlands U16: Stefan Mulder 13, Joost Padberg (202-C-91) 12
Cyprus U16: Christos Panayiotou 10, Andreas Andreou (196-F-91) 7


Semifinals
Hungary U16 - England U16
Sweden U16 - Poland U16


   Division B: Qualifying round gets under way  - Jul. 27, 2007
Group E

Sweden U16 - England U16 81:64
Sweden U16 team had a victorious start to the qualifying round of the European championship in Macedonia. They defeated previuosly unbeaten England in the opening game in Group E.
England felt pretty confident at the start of the game and led 22:9 with 2 minutes left in the frame. However Sweden finished the quarter strongly and cut the deficit to 5 points 19:26. Andreas Person (187-G-91) hit a trey with 4 minutes remaining in the first half to tie the score at 35. Niklas Sellin (197-F-91) capped the half with a long jumper to give Sweden a 44:39 advantage at halftime.
Niklas Sellin added another 3 straight points at the end of the third quarter to ensure a comfortable 64:50 lead for Sweden entering the final stanza. Sweden provided England with no chances to save the game in the fourth frame and deservedly celebrated the victory at the end.
Alexander Lindqvist (202-G-91) topscored for Sweden with 23 points and 13 boards. Niklas Sellin and Andreas Person added 17 points for the winners. Ryan Richards (205-F-91) paced England with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Levi Noel (194-G-91) chipped in 11 points in a defeat.
Sweden limited their opponents to just 32.7% of accuracy and outrebounded them 41:31.
Sweden topped Group E and will next take on Bosnia and Herzegovina. England plays against Montenegro tomorrow.

Sweden U16: Alexander Lindqvist 23+13 boards, Niklas Sellin 17, Andreas Person 17
England U16: Ryan Richards 14, Levi Noel 11


Montenegro U16 - Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 87:54
Montenegro had a perfect start to the qualifying round in Skopje as they routed Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first game. The teams exchanged the blows in the first half with each team winning a quarter and entered the second on a 35:32 Monenegrin advantage. However Bosnia and Herzegovina run of steam in the second half and allowed their opponents to reign the court. Mihailo Sekulovic (-91) nailed 20 points to lead the action for Montenegro. Aleksandar Dobrovic (-91) netted 17 points for the winners. Remzudin Hasic (-91) and Nikola Gajic (-91) secured 13 points apiece for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nebojsa Andelic poured in 8 points in a defeat.

Montenegro U16: Mihailo Sekulovic 20, Aleksandar Dobrovic 17
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Remzudin Hasic 13, Nikola Gajic 13


Group F


Hungary U16 - Cyprus U16 59:57
Hungarian team got to a successful start of the qualifying round. They narrowly defeated Cyprus to remain among the top teams in Group F. Hungary led 29:25 at halftime but Cyrus emerged strong in the third quarter to came within 2 points at the end of it. Hungary led by just a single point after Marios Palalas hit a jumper. The teams exchanged turnovers in the next minute before Adam Csernak converted a free throw to seal a victory for Hungarian side.

Hungary U16: Adam Lepsenyi (201-C-91, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) 16, Zsolt Lakosa (186-G-91) 12
Cyprus U16: Constantinos Pilakouta (192-G/F-91) 16, Andreas Andreou (196-F-91) 9+12 boards


Poland U16 - Netherlands U16 91:83
Poland came up strong in the final quarter to edge Netherlands in the first game of the qualifying round. The teams were tied at 77 with less than 5 minutes to go in regulation. Jeroen van Vugt (194-G-91) scored two free throws to put Netherlands in front. However Poland responded with a 14:4 run in the final 4 minutes of the game to steal the victory.
Poland faces Hungary today.

Poland U16: Sebastian Szymanski (182-G-91) 32, Jacek Waszak (195-F-91) 21
Netherlands U16: Jeroen van Vugt 29, Sander Roos (195-F-91) 11


   Division A: The semifinal stage is ready  - Jul. 27, 2007
Group E

Israel U16 - Italy U16 62:73
Israel did not manage top succeed in the last game at the qualifying round of the U16 European championship in Greece. In the final round Israel were defeated by Italy and fell to 0-5 record in Group E.
The teams played close basketball early in the game but Italy used a 9:0 run midway through the opening frame to establish a 18:8 lead. They then caped the quarter with another massive blow 11:2 to outscore Israeli team 29:10.
Israel tightened their defence and managed to cut the deficit to 27:40 at halftime. However Italy bombarded Israeli basket from behind the arc in the third quarter and maintained the dominance. They ensured a 61:40 gap entering the final stanza. Israel managed to narrow the lead to 12 points but it was as close as they got. Italy celebrated the win and improved to 2-3 record in Group E.
Alessandro Amici (197-G-91) led the action with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Eros Chinellato (187-G-91) contributed 10 points in a win. Assaf Ohana (182-G-91) responded with 11 points for Israel. Carmel Bouchman (196-F-91) secured 10 points and 10 rebounds in a losing case.
Israel finished the qualifying round at the bottom of Group E and now faces Latvia in the classification round for the 9th-12th spots.

Israel U16: Assaf Ohana 11, Carmel Bouchman 10+10 boards
Italy U16: Alessandro Amici 13, Eros Chinellato 10


Georgia U16 - France U16 65:58
Georgia U16 National team completed their qualifying round campaign in Group E. Yesterday they were defeated by France to fall to 1-4 record. The loss meant Georgia will now play in the classification round for the 9th-12th spots.
The game was pretty much close in the first quarter and France were able to post a 1-point lead after the first frame 17:16. David Ioseliani nailed a jumper 2 minutes into the second quarter to put Georgia in front 20:19. The teams exchanged the blows for some time before France knocked down 5 straight points to end the first half with a 32:27 advantage.
Georgia cut the deficit to 43:44 with under 4 minutes left in the third quarter but Frederick Bourdillon and Elio Sadiku drained two three pointers to grab a 50:43 lead for France.
Georgia stroke back early in the fourth frame when Beqa Chikviladze (195-G-91) nailed three consecutive long bombs to lift Georgia back in front 58:57. However France kept Georgia scoreless for more than 4 minutes afterwards and finished the game with an 8:0 run to seal the victory.
Leo Westermann (192-G-92) topscored for France with 13 points. Mael Amenyedzi added 9 points for the winners. Beqa Chikviladze had game-high 19 points for Georgia. Tariel Tavartkiladze (193-G-91) produced 11 points and 7 rebounds in a loss.
Georgia will next face Ukraine in the battle for the 9th-12th places.

Georgia U16: Beqa Chikviladze 19, Tariel Tavartkiladze 11
France U16: Leo Westermann 13, Mael Amenyedzi 9


Spain U16 - Serbia U16 48:59
Serbian team edged Spain in the clash of previously undefeated squads. In a tight battle Spain took a narrow 29:28 lead at halftime. However Serbia used a perfect defence in the third quarter to limit Spaniards to just 6 points and surged ahead 39:35 entering the final stanza. Serbia never allowed Spain to come close at the dying stages and celebrated a confident win.
Serbia will now play against Lithuania in the semifinal tomorrow. Spain takes on Turkey in another much awaited semifinal clash.

Spain U16: Alberto Jodar (203-F/C-91) 10, Jaume Puig (197-F-91) 10
Serbia U16: Dejan Musli (213-C-91) 13+17 boards, Nemanja Jaramaz (195-G-91) 13


Group F


Latvia U16 - Ukraine U16 73:58
Latvian U16 National team completed their action in qualifying round of the European chamspionship in Greece. They outscored Ukraine 73:58 to climb up the ladder in Group F.
Latvia got to a confident start of this one as they scored first 7 points. Gennadiy Dzyuba and Dmytro Bandush responded with consecutive treys for Ukrainian team to cut the deficit. However Janis Antrops (187-G-91) capped the first frame with a jumper that marked a 17:12 Latvian lead. Andriy Lebedintsev (194-G-91) nailed 4 straight points midway through the second quarter to give Ukraine their first lead in the game 21:20. Latvia once again were aggressive at the end of the quarter and closed first half with a 5:0 run that put them in front 35:31.
Freimanis' three pointer with less than 3 minutes left in the third stanza saw Latvia extend their lead to double digits. Anatoliy Gumennyy (193-F-91) drained a long jumper to put Ukraine back within 10 points territory but Latvia never allowed them to get any closer. They reacted with a 14:0 run to clear off to a safe 73:50 distance. Ukrainian players just managed to close the game with an 8:0 run of their own but it had little impact on the scoreline.
Janis Antrops led Latvia with 17 points. Roberts Freimanis (198-C-91) secured 14 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Anatoliy Gumennyy answered with 16 points for Ukraine. Andriy Lebedintsev had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals but committed 10 turnovers.
Ukraine occupied the 6th spot in Group F and will now battle in classification round for the 9th-12th spots. Latvia completed the qualifying round at the 5th spot and will take on the 6th team from Group E in classification games.

Latvia U16: Janis Antrops 17 points, Roberts Freimanis 14
Ukraine U16: Anatoliy Gumennyy 16, Andriy Lebedintsev 12


Lithuania U16 - Croatia U16 92:58
Lithuanian U16 National team booked their semifinal spot yesterday. They routed Croatia to ensure the second spot in Group F and the place in the Top 4.
The key to the win against Croatia was pretty much vivid as Lithuania needed to maintain Toni Prostran's offensiuve presence and did not allow him to dictate the pace. Lithuanian defence fulfilled the task limiting Prostran to just 4 points. Lithuania grabbed a 23:14 lead after the first frame and extended it to 45:27 at halftime. A couple of three pointers from Mantas Kadzevicius (193-G-91) in the third frame allowed Lithuania to held on to the advantage and entered the final stanza at a 65:40 distance from their oppponents. Croatia struggled to close the gap and suffered a big defeat 58:92.
Gilvydas Biruta (200-F-91) led the action with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Mantas Kadzevicius poured in 17 points converting 4/7 from beyond the arc. Giedrius Staniulis (201-C-91) had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Crotia responded with 10 points from Ante Cutura (198-F-91) and Luka Pesut (192-G-91).
Lithuania dominated the boards 53:38 and forced Croatia to 16 turnovers. Baltic team also shot 58.5% of two pointers.
Lithuania will now take on still undefeated Serbia in the semifinal tomorrow.

Lithuania U16: Gilvydas Biruta 21+12 boards, Mantas Kadzevicius 17, Giedrius Staniulis 16+11 boards
Croatia U16: Ante Cutura 10, Luka Pesut 10


Turkey U16 - Greece U16 64:54
Turkey defeated Greece to stay unbeaten at the European championship. They battled back from a 11:21 deficit after the first frame and celebrated another win at the qualifying round. The loss meanwhile became the second in a row for the home side and meant Greece did not make it to the semifinal stage.

Turkey U16: Can Maxim Mutaf (192-G-91) 26+12 boards, Enes Kanter (204-C-92) 11
Greece U16: Michail Roussis (200-F-91) 14, Ioannis Angelopoulos (190-G-91) 11.


   Division A: Spain, Serbia and Turkey remain perfect  - Jul. 26, 2007 
Group E

Georgia U16 - Israel U16 82:75
Georgia gained their first victory in Group E as they defeated Israel 82:75 yesterday. Georgia needed a spectacular come back effort in the fourth quarter to stun their opponents and emerged victorioyus from this one.
Georgian players secured a narrow 25:24 lead after the opening frame on Givi Bakradze's jump shot. However Israel used a 12:1 run at the start of the second quarter to clear off to a 36:26 distance. They sealed a 45:36 dominance at halftime and never stopped after the break. Raz Nisim Cohen produced 6 straight points to cap the frame and put Israel in front 64:54 before the final stanza.
Georgia sparked with three consecutive treys midway through the final quarter to see the deficit vanish in seconds. Beqa Chikviladze (195-G-91), Givi Bakradze and Tornike Shengelia (198-G-91) all connected from behind the arc to lift Georgia ahead 72:70 with under 4 minutes to go in regulation. Beqa Chikviladze added one more three pointer with less than 2 minutes to go to make it 78:73. Raz Cohen (188-G-91) nailed two free throws to maintain the distance at 75:79 with 15 seconds remaining but Tariel Tavartkiladze responded with perfect shooting from charity line to ensure the win for Georgia.
Tornike Shengelia topscored for Georgia with 24 points and 11 boards. Beqa Chikviladze contributed 21 points for the winners. Raz Cohen answered with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Israel. Carmel Bouchman (196-F-91) had 16 points and 9 boards in a defeat.
Georgia improved to 1-3 record in Group E and faces France in the next round. Israel remained at the bottom of the ladder with 0-4 record. They take on Italy later tonight.

Georgia U16: Tornike Shengelia 24+11 boards, Beqa Chikviladze 21
Israel U16: Raz Cohen 17+10 boards, Carmel Bouchman 16


Spain U16 - France U16 65:46
Spain toppled France and secured their semifinal spot yesterday. They remained atop Group E with a perfect 4-0 record. Spain faced little problems en route to their 5th win as they established a 38:22 advantage at halftime and did not allow French players to perform any sort of comeback in the second half. Alberto Jodar (203-F/C-91) led the action with 21 points and 8 rebounds, while Josep De Pablo (190-G-91) contributed 10 points in a win.
Spain faces Serbia in the clash of undefeated later tonight.

Spain U16: Alberto Jodar 21, Josep De Pablo 10
France U16: Elio Sadiku (187-G-91) 12, Remi Dibo (201-F-91) 8


Serbia U16 - Italy U16 86:66
Serbia cruised past Italy to secure their perfect campaign and book semifinal spot. Serbian dominace in the first half of the game resilted in 43:26 advantage at halftime and they never looked back from now on.
Serbia will play versus Spain today.

Serbia U16: Dejan Musli (213-C-91) 18+10 boards, Nemanja Jaramaz (195-G-91) 15
Italy U16: Nicolo Melli (204-F-91) 19+11 boards, Alessandro Amici (197-G-91) 13


Group F

Latvia U16 - Turkey U16 70:79
Latvian U16 national team suffered another blow in qualifying round of the European chamspionship in Greece. They were defeated by Turkey 70:79 and remained at the bottom of Group F with 0-4 record. Turkey led by just a single point after the first frame 17:18. Latvia bounced back at the start of the second quarter when they outscored Turkey 15:0 to spur in front 25:18. However Turkish players returned the game into a comfortable pace and regained the lead later on. The gap then widened to double figures and Turkey faced little problems en route to their second win in qualifying round.
Latvia committed 29 turnovers and got outrebounded 32:33 (9:16 in offense). They converted 48.8% of two point attempts and 81.3% of free throws.
Janis Antrops (187-G-91) led Latvian players with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Artjoms Butjankovs (200-C-91) secured another 17 points and 10 rebounds. Can Maxim Mutaf (192-G-91) paced Turkey with 21 points and 4 steals. Enes Kanter (204-C-92) added 16 points and 9 rebounds for the winners.
Latvia will now seek for their first victory against Ukraine today. Turkey is still undefeated and faces Greece in the much-awaited clash later tonight.

Latvia U16: Janis Antrops 20, Artjoms Butjankovs 17+10 boards
Turkey U16: Can Maxim Mutaf 21, Enes Kanter 16


Lithuania U16 - Greece U16 72:59
Lithuania made another step towards the European championship semifinals. They overcame hosting Greece yesterday to improve to 3-1 record and occupied the second spot in Group F.
Lithuania led right from the start and rolled to a 22:14 advantage after the first frame. They held on to the lead in the second quarter and ensured a 37:30 gap at halftime. Lithunian team never stopped in the third quarter as they established a double-digit lead and enterd the final stanza 58:46 ahead. Dimitrios Katsivelis (194-G-91) nailed 7 straight points for Greece to cut the deficit to 53:62 midway through the fourth frame but Lithiania then tightened their defence and kept Greece scoreless for more than three minutes to run away to a safe 70:53 distance.
The victory tied both teams at 3-1 record but Lithuania has a better scoring difference. They will now face Croatia in the last round of the qualifying round and need to win to book semifinal ticket.
Ovidijus Varanauskas (184-G-91) paced Lithuania with 14 points. Gilvydas Biruta (200-F-91) and Mantas Kadzevicius (193-G-91) scored 12 points apiece for the winners. Greece had three players to score 12 points. Ioannis Karathanasis (200-F-91), Ioannis Angelopoulos (190-G-91) and Dimitrios Katsivelis were the only Greek players to score in double figures.
Lithuania obviously dominated the paint outrebounding Greece 55:41. Greece also lacked accuracy from free throw line converting just 40.7% of free throws.
Greece takes on Turkey in the last round of action in Group F.

Lithuania U16: Ovidijus Varanauskas 14, Gilvydas Biruta 12, Mantas Kadzevicius 12
Greece U16: Ioannis Karathanasis 12, Ioannis Angelopoulos 12, Dimitrios Katsivelis 12


Croatia U16 - Ukraine U16 84:62
Toni Prostran (183-G-91) led Croatia past Ukraine in Day 2 action in Group F. Croatian guard nailed 32 points and Dino Jakolis (190-G-91) pulled down 15 rebounds to lead Cratia to their first win at the qualifying round. Ukraine once again were paced by Andriy Lebedintsev (194-G-91), who netted 15 points and made 3 steals.
Ukraine will play against Latvia today. Croatia faces Lithuania.

Croatia U16: Toni Prostran 32, Ivan Batur (190-G-91) 16, Dino Jakolis 13+15 boards
Ukraine U16: Andriy Lebedintsev 15, Maks Konate (199-F-91) 12.


Division B: Skopje awaits qualifying round - Jul. 25, 2007
Group A

Sweden U16 - Germany U16 78:53
Swedish U16 National team overcame Germany to finish the preliminary round of the European championship at the second spot in Group A. They completed the action in Group A with a 4-1 record together with Montenegro and Finland but appeared at the second spot due to scoring difference.
Sweden dominated the game against Germany not allowing their opponents to win at least a single frame. Five Swedish players delivered in double digits. Andreas Person (187-G-91) and Alexander Lindqvist (202-G-91) produced 16 points apiece to lead Sweden. Christopher Czerapowicz secured another 14 points for the winners.
Sweden will now play in Group E of qualifying round and takes on England in the opening encounter.

Sweden U16: Andreas Person 16 points, Alexander Lindqvist 16
Germany U16: Alexander Andreev (207-C-91) 21, Niels Giffey (198-F-91) 11


Montenegro U16 - Norway U16 103:60
Montenegro U16: Marko Loncovic (-91) 20, Aleksandar Dobrovic (-91) 14
Norway U16: Oeivind Lundestad (182-G-91) 24, Stian Guhnfeldt (196-F-91) 8

Group B

England U16 - Armenia U16 139:24
England grabbed another victory at the U16 European championship in Macedonia. They dismantled Armenia to remain undefeated in Group B. The victory meant England improved to 4-0 record and completed the preliminary round atop of their group.
The intrigue vanished in the first frame as England players established a 34:11 advantage. They extended to 72:20 at halftime and cruised to an overall win at the end.
Eight players scored in double figures for England. Thomas Pereira (-91), Adam Thoseby (194-F-91) and William Hall (-91) chipped in 19 points apiece to pace English offense.
England will now face Sweden in qualifying round opener tomorrow.

England U16: Adam Thoseby 19, Thomas Pereira 19, William Hall 19
Armenia U16: Armen Gmiruk (-93) 6, Arman Hakobyan (-92) 5


Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 - Austria U16 87:53
Bosnia and Herzegovina crushed Austria en route to the second spot in Group B. Remzudin Hasic (-91) led all scorers with 17 points and 13 boards for the winners. Bosnia and Herzegovina will now play in Group E of qualifying round. They take on Montenegro in their opening game.

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Remzudin Hasic 17+13 boards, Miralem Halilovic (-91) 17
Austria U16: Romed Vieider (196-F-91) 12, Lukas Trappl (190-G-91) 10


Group C

Belarus U16 - Bulgaria U16 97:80
Belarusian U16 National team clebrated their first win at the European championship in Macedonia yesterday. They rallied past Bulgaria 97:80 to improve to 1-3 record in Group C.
Valiantsin Ihnatchyk (-91) opened the game with a long jumper to put Belarus ahead. However Bulgarian players quickly found the touch and bounced back with a 7:0 run of their own to surge in front. They continued to dominate the pace in the first frame and came out wiinign 27:19.
Belarus responded early in the second quarter recording 10:0 run and spurring ahead to 29:27 advantage. However Ventsislav manuilov's jumper at the end of the first frame marked a 46:42 lead for Bulgaria.
They extended it to 48:42 on Emil Binev's dunk at the start of the second quarter but Belarus were not about to give it up. They rushed forward and left Bulgaria behind as Mikalai Salauyou hit consecutive three pointers and Valiantsin Ihnatchyk added some nice offensive plays. Bulgaria enterd the final stanza trailing by 5 points 60:65 and never recovered losing their 3rd game at the tournament.
Valiantsin Ihnatchyk nailed 26 points to pace Belarus. Vitali Kazlouski (196-F-91) ensured 17 points and 17 boards for the winners. Bulgaria replied with 17 points from Ventsislav Petkov (184-G-91). Plamen Hristov (196-F-91) had 15 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists in a loss.
Belarus will now play in classification round Group H. They take on Estonia tomorrow.

Belarus U16: Valiantsin Ihnatchyk 26 points, Vitali Kazlouski 17+17 boards
Bulgaria U16: Ventsislav Petkov 17, Plamen Hristov 15+14 boards


Hungary U16 - Belgium U16 68:78
Belgium handed Hungary the first win at the tournament. They dominated the first three quarters and withstood all comeback efforts from Hungarian players in the final stanza. Hungary however secured the top spot in Group C and advanced into Top 8. They will face Cyprus in Group F action tomorrow.

Hungary U16: Balazs Csempesz (184-G-91) 21, Adam Hajer (189-G/F-91) 10
Belgium U16: Maarten Rademakers (201-C-91) 15+14 boards, Dennis Donkor (192-G/F-91) 11


Group D

FYR Macedonia U16 - Poland U16 49:98
FYR Macedonia fourth straight defeat in Group D of the U16 European championship in Skopje. The home crowd was not enough for the hosts to overcome Poland in their last encounter at the preliminary stage. Trailing by as many as 26 points at halftime Macedonia did not manage to perform a miracle and lost the game. Dzaner Osman (-91) and Vladimir Dikovski (-91) poured in 9 points apiece for Macedonia. Apostoli Apostolov (183-G-91) added another 8 in a defeat.
They completed the preliminaries at 0-4 record at the bottom of Group D and will now fight for 17th-21st spots in classification round. They first play against Bulgaria tomorrow.

Macedonia U16: Dzaner Osman 9, Vladimir Dikovski 9, Apostoli Apostolov 8
Poland U16: Jacek Waszak (195-F-91) 17, Dawid Adamczewski (186-G-91) 17

Cyprus U16 - Estonia U16 61:58
Cyprus U16: Christos Panayiotou (195-C-91) 16, Andreas Andreou (196-F-91) 14
Estonia U16: Rain Veideman (-91) 17, Henry Ahven (-91) 13.


   Division A: Qualifying rounds tips off in Rethimnon - Jul. 25, 2007
Group E

Israel U16 - Spain U16 44:69
Israeli U16 National team were unable to stop the winning pace of Spanish team as they faced in the opening round of the qualifying stage at the European championship. Spain easily grabbed their 4th straight victory at th tournament and remained on top in Group E.
Israel however surprised their opponents at the start of the game. They took a 14:1 lead at early in the first quarter and seemed to be in the right mood for this one. Alejandro Lopez Laz drained a trey to cut the deficit to 14:6 at the end of the first frame. Israel kept the distance throughout the second quarter and completed the first half in front 24:19. Spain managed to close the gap just midway through the third frame when Ignacio Guigou Tudela hit a jumper to lift Spain ahead 31:30. Spain actually piled up a 23:0 run in the third quarter to make it 46:30 advantage. They later drove to a 48:35 distance entering the final stanza.
Israel struggled to maintain Spanish players defensivelly and Oscar Rodriguez (180-G-91) converted two three pointers while Josep Franch De Pablo added abother one to extend the gap to an unassailable 64:42 with less than 4 minutes remaining.
Alberto Jodar (203-F/C-91) had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Spain. Oscar Rodriguez contributed 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Or Itzhaki (187-F-91) replied with 11 points for Israel. Guy Dotan (175-G-91) finished with 6 points and 5 assists in a loss.
Israel will now take on Georgia in the next round. Spain faces France later tonight.

Israel U16: Or Itzhaki 11 points, Guy Dotan 6
Spain U16: Alberto Jodar 18+12 boards, Oscar Rodriguez 11

France U16 - Italy U16 58:45
French U16 National team continued their chase for Spain and Serbia in Group E of the qualifying round of the European championship in Greece. They handled Italy to improve to 2-1 record and remained just behind the leaders in the ladder. France used unsurpassed defence in the first three quarters to mount a 38:21 lead entering the final frame and sealed the victory at the dying stage of the encounter.
France will next face Spain in Group E action. Italy takes on Serbia later tonight.

France U16: Leo Westermann (192-G-92) 11 points, Elio Sadiku (187-G-91) 10
Italy U16: Luca Fontecchio (199-F-91) 16, Andrea De Nicolao (175-G-91) 7

Serbia U16 - Georgia U16 108:48
Serbia cruised past Georgia to remain undefeated at the European championship. They stay on top of Group E together with Spain and will next face Italy in today's action.

Serbia U16: Dejan Musli (213-C-91) 28+12 boards, Danilo Andjusic (190-G-91) 15
Georgia U16: Akaki Dvalishvili (203-C-91) 9, Merab Bokolishvili (192-G-92) 9

Group F

Ukraine U16 - Greece U16 64:80
Ukraine had somehow a sour start to the qualifying round as they were defeated by Greece. Another big effort from Andriy Lebedintsev (194-G-91) was not enough for Ukrainian team to overcome the home side. The win saw Greece imrove to a 3-0 record on top of Group F, whiel Ukrauine fell to 0-3 at the bottom of the ladder.
Greek players opened the game confidently and led 10:2 early on. Lebedintsev answered with a three pointer and Serhii Halynin nailed a jumper to cut it to 7:10. But it never scared Greece as they drove to a 20:14 advantage after the opening frame. Georgios Georgakis (204-C-91, agency: FCM) scored 7 points in the last 3 minutes of the first half to secure a 41:30 lead for Greece at halftime.
Ukraine revived in the third frame when Gennadiy Dzyuba (182-G-91) poured in consecutive three pointers to narrow the gap to 50:55. However Michail Roussis immediatelly responded with a long bomb to restore the lead for Greece.
The hosts looked too solid for Ukraine in the fourth frame never allowing to come too close for a strike. Gennadiy Dzyuba capped the game with another trey to just mark a 64:80 defeat.
Ioannis Angelopoulos (189-G-91) topscored for Greece with 23 points. Georgios Georgakis contributed 15 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. Andriy Lebedintsev provided 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals to pace Ukraine. Gennadiy Dzyuba had 15 points in a loss.
Ukraine will face Croatia in the next round.

Ukraine U16: Andriy Lebedintsev 19+10 boards, Gennadiy Dzyuba 15
Greece U16: Ioannis Angelopoulos 23, Georgios Georgakis 15+15 boards


Lithuania U16 - Latvia U16 82:58
Lithuania emerged as winners from the Baltic clash in the first round of the qualifying stage in Greece. The win lifted Lithuania to 2-1 record and they remain in the semifinal chase with 2 games left.
Lithuania controlled the game from the start and piled up a 19:12 lead late in the first frame. Janis Antrops (187-G-91) scored 4 straight points to cut the deficit for Latvia to 17:21 at the end of the frame. Lithuania however did not slow down in the second quarter and rolled to a 44:30 distance at halftime. Latvia struggled to come back into this one and Ovidijus Varanauskas (184-G-91)'s three pointer to crown the third quarter marked a 67:46 dominace for Lithuanian squad. They easily maintained the gap throughout the fourth quarter and came out winning the third game at the tournament.
Ovidijus Varanauskas led Lithuania with 21 points. Augustas Peciukevicius (190-G-91) added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for the winners. Janis Antrops answered with game-high 26 points for Latvia. Roberts Freimanis (198-C-91) nailed another 12 points in a defeat.
Lithuania had a strong advantage under the rims outrebounding Latvia 54:36. They also forced Latvian players to as many as 24 turnovers.
Lithuania will now battle against Greece later tonight. Latvia takes on Turkey.

Lithuania U16: Ovidijus Varanauskas 21 points, Augustas Peciukevicius 13
Latvia U16: Janis Antrops 26, Roberts Freimanis 12


Turkey U16 - Croatia U16 72:65
Turkey secured a tough win over Croatian youngsters to stay unbeaten at the tournament. This victory means they improved to 3-0 record and will now play against Latvia in the next round. Croatia sees Ukraine later tonight.

Turkey U16: Can Maxim Mutaf (192-G-91) 20 points, Burak Yuksel (203-F-92) 14
Croatia U16: Dino Jakolis (190-G-91) 15, Toni Prostran (183-G-91) 11.


   Division B: Top 8 is being shaped up - Jul. 24, 2007 
Group A

Sweden U16 - Montenegro U16 81:71
Sweden U16 National team outscored Montenegro on Day 4 of the action at the European championship in Macedonia. Swedish team now reached Montenegro in the ladder as they both at 3-1 record in the preliminaries.
Sweden had a better start to the game as they secured an early 6:0 run. Montenegro emerged in front midway through the frame 16:15 but Sweden ensured a 22:19 lead after the opening frame.
Andreas Person scored 6 straight points early in the second frame to put Sweden ahead 28:21. Sweden held on to the advantage throughout the whole frame but Aleksandar Dobrovic (-91)'s trey and Mihailo Sekulovic (-91)'s jumper tied the score at halftime 37:37. The lead changed a coupe of times in the third quarter before Nemanja Radovic hit a jump shot and established a 58:55 lead for Montenegro entering the final frame.
Sweden spurred in front 2 minutes into the frame. They posted a 9:0 run to clear off to a 68:62 distance. Montenegro managed to cut the deficit to 4 points with 58 seconds left in regulation 71:75. However Andreas Person nailed jump shot and Jan Lindback added another one to seal the win for Sweden.
Christopher Czerapowicz (192-G-91) led the action with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Alexander Lindqvist (202-G-91) provided another 15 points for Sweden.
Aleksandar Dobrovic replied with 19 points for Montengro. Mihailo Sekulovic had 11 points in a losing effort.
Sweden takes on Germany in the last game of the preliminary round today. Montengro faces Norway for the top spot in Group A.

Sweden U16: Christopher Czerapowicz 21 points, Alexander Lindqvist 15
Montenegro U16: Aleksandar Dobrovic 19, Mihailo Sekulovic 11

Norway U16 - Finland U16 55:65
Norway U16 National team was unable to improve in the ladder of Group A at the European championship in Macedonia. They were beaten by Finland 55:65 to fall to 1-3 record. Finland dominated the game from the start and led by 4 points after the opening frame 14:10. They extended the lead to 29:24 at halftime. Trailing by 10 points midway through the third quarter Norway however found the way to cut the deficit to just 3 points at the end of the stanza and entered the final frame 40:43 behind.
But Finland never alllowed Norway to come closer. Antto Nikkarinen (182-G-91) nailed a three pointer with less than 2 minutes left in regulation to seal a 65:52 advantage for Finnish team. Stian Berg capped the game with a trey to mark a 55:65 outcome.
Sasu Salin (185-G-91) topscored for Finland with 12 points. Antto Nikkarinen and Lauri Toivonen (197-G/F-91) produced 10 points apiece in a win. Magnus Engen (-91) came off the bench to score game-high 13 points for Norway. Stian Guhnfeldt (196-F-91) added another 11 points and 9 rebounds in a losing effort. Finland shot just 26.4% of their jumpers, but hit twice as many three pointers as Norway. They also forced Norwegian players to 26 turnovers.
Norway will play against Montenegro today.

Norway U16: Magnus Engen 13 points, Stian Guhnfeldt 11
Finland U16: Sasu Salin 12, Antto Nikkarinen 10, Lauri Toivonen 10

Finland U16 - Romania U16 98:75
Finland grabbed their 4th win at the tournament and topped Group A with 4-1 record. Romania meanwhile remained winless at the bottom of the ladder. The victory guaranteed the qualifying round birth for Finnish team.

Finland U16: Sasu Salin 17 points, Jouni Samuli Vanttaja 17
Romania U16: Sergiu Pop (193-F-91) 20+12 boards, George Chirof (196-C-91) 15

Group B

Ireland U16 - Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 59:98
Irish U16 team got beaten by Bosnian team in the fourth round of the European championship in Macedonia. This became the third loss to Ireland as they now occupy the 4th spot in the group.
Ireland kept it close in the first quarter trailing by just four points 21:25. Bosnian players extended the lead in the second quarter and were up 51:36 at halftime. The breakthrough came for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the third quarter when they outscored Ireland 34:10 to clear off for good.
Miralem Halilovic (-91) secured game-high 22 points for Bosnia. Nebojsa Andelic (-91) had 15 points for the winners. Ireland replied with 13 points from Liam Conroy (180-G-91). Andrew Dawson (190-F-91) added 11 points in a loss.
Ireland will now have a bye on the last day of preliminary round.

Ireland U16: Liam Conroy 13 points, Andrew Dawson 11
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Miralem Halilovic 22, Nebojsa Andelic 15

England U16 - Austria U16 64:56
England youngsters continue their perfect winning ways through the European championship in Macedonia. They defeated Austria 64:56 to maintain their pefect record. They emerged now on top of Group B ladder at 3-0 record.
England trailed all the way through the opening quarter and lost it 10:12. However Ryan Richards (205-F-91) posted some strong offensive plays to lift England to a 25:17 lead at halftime.
Joshua Houghton (-91) sparked with three consecutive treys midway through the third quarter to extend the lead for England to 40:22. They maintained it till the end of the frame and entered the final 10 minutes ahead 51:29. Austria were close to achieving almost impossibe task as they recorded a 20:4 run to come within just 5 points with 3 minutes left in regulation. Romed Vieider (196-F-91)'s three pointer with 1 minute and 12 seconds remaining made it 54:57 for England. But Richards and Houghton were accurate from the free throw line at the dying stage of the game to ensure the winning outcome for England.
Ryan Richards topscored for England with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Joshua Houghton provided 15 points for the winners. Romed Vieider responded with 13 points for Austria. Nikolaus Teleu (183-G-91) had 8 points and 4 rebounds in a defeat.
England plays against winless Armenia tonight.

England U16: Ryan Richards 18+15 boards, Joshua Houghton 15
Austria U16: Romed Vieider 13, Nikolaus Teleu 8

Group C

Belgium U16 - Netherlands U16 83:92
Belgium U16 National team suffered their second loss when they were rallied over by Netherlands. This became the third win for Dutch players as they climber on top of Group C. Belgium led 49:43 at halftime but could not hold on to the lead and had to surrender in this one. Netherlands imroved to 3-1 record and will now wait for the result of Hungary versus Belgium clash to secure the top spot.

Belgium U16: Dennis Donkor (192-G/F-91) 18, Thomas De Thaey 13
Netherlands U16: Stefan Mulder (-91) 29, Gian Slagter (192-F-91) 20

Bulgaria U16 - Hungary U16 74:97
Hungary extended their perfect record to three games as they beat Bulgaria. Hungary will now fight against Belgium in the last round game. They already ensured the place in Top 8. Bulgaria kept it close in the first half and trailed by just 5 points at halftime. But Hungary swept their opponents in the third quarter 37:17 to seal the winning outcome.

Bulgaria U16: Georgi Sirakov (184-G-92) 19, Plamen Hristov (196-F-91) 17+11 boards
Hungary U16: Janos Eilingsfeld (198-F/C-91) 27+16 boards, Adam Lepsenyi (201-C-91, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) 13

Group D

Cyprus U16 - Estonia U16 61:58 (OT)
Cyprus narrowly defeated Estonia to go on top of Group D today. Estonia came from behind in the fourth frame and cut the deficit to force overtime. However Christos Panayiotou (195-C-91) nailed a jumper and Antreas Katsiamidis converted one free throw to put Cyprus ahead for good in the last seconds of overtime. Martin Dorbek had a chance to force second overtime but his trey came short.
Cyprus and Poland qualified for Top 8.

Cyprus U16: Christos Panayiotou 16, Andreas Andreou (196-F-91) 14
Estonia U16: Rain Veideman (-91) 17, Henry Ahven (-91) 13.


   Division A: Preliminary round ends in Greece - Jul. 23, 2007
Group A

Georgia U16 - Slovenia U16 100:70
Georgia secured a spot in the qualifying round after they edged Slovenia 100:70 on the last day of action in Group A. Georgia dominated every quarter and celebrated a well-deserved win at the end. They will now play in Group E and take on Serbia in their first encounter tomorrow. Slovenia will fight in relegation round.

Georgia U16: Beqa Chikviladze (195-G-91) 34 points, Tariel Tavartkiladze (193-G-91) 19
Slovenia U16: Matic Sirnik (199-F-91) 19, Mirza Sarajlija (183-G-91) 13

Spain U16 - Italy U16 74:63
Spanish team remained perfect en route to the qualifying round. They faced little problems overwhelming Italy in the last day of action in Group A. Italy meanwhile finished in the second spot and successfully qualified to the next round.

Spain U16: Alberto Jodar (203-F/C-91) 22, Josep Franch De Pablo 14
Italy U16: Riccardo Moraschini (190-G-91) 16, Nicolo Melli (204-F-91) 14+14 boards

Group B

Czech Republic U16 - Israel U16 51:70
Czech Republic U16 National team suffered another loss at the European championship in Greece. In the last game of the preliminary round Czechs were unable to overcome Israel 51:70 and fell to 0-3 record at the bottom of Group B.
Israel had a strong start to the game as Eitan Guilherme Rotemberg scored first four points to put them in front. Kamil Riha's three pointer midway through the first frame saw Czech Republic gained a 14:12 lead. They held to it and finished the opening quarter 17:14 ahead. Tomas Satoransky (197-G-91, agency: PPGroup) opened the second frame with 3 straight points to ensure a 21:14 advantage for Czechs. They managed to maintain the gap throughout the second quarter and won the first half 31:27.
The things turned in different direction for the teams in the second half. Israel regained the lead 5 minutes into the third quarter on a bunch of converted free throws. Guy Dotan (175-G-91) capped the third stanza with 5 consecutive points to secure a 50:41 advantage for Israeli team. Assaf Ohana (182-G-91) drained another three pointer at the start of the fourth quarter to make it a 53:41 game. However Czechs found the way to cut the deficit to 4 points lashing out an 8:0 run. But it was as close as they could get. Guy Dotan and Assaf Ohana knocked down straight three pointers to leave Czechs far behind and seal the first victory for Israel.
Guy Dotan led Israel with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Assaf Ohana added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Ondrej Peterka (192-F-91) replied with 18 points for Czech Republic. Tomas Satoransky had 13 points and 13 boards in a defeat.
Czech Republic will now play in classification round in Group G. They face Portugal tomorrow.

Czech Republic U16: Ondrej Peterka 18 points, Tomas Satoransky 13+13 boards
Israel U16: Guy Dotan 18, Assaf Ohana 13+10 boards.

Serbia U16 - France U16 78:66
Serbia handled France in Group B to stay undefeated. They finished the preliminary round at 3-0 record and entered Group E with a 2-0 in record column. Serbia faces Georgia tomorrow. France qualified for Top 12 from the second place in the group and takes on Italy in Group E encounter.

Serbia U16: Lazar Radosavljevic (203-F-91) 14, Dejan Musli (213-C-91) 10+11 boards + 12 blocks
France U16: Malela Balume (184-G-91) 16, Frederic Bourdillon (188-G-91) 9

Group C

Ukraine U16 - Portugal U16 67:55
Ukrainian U16 National team enjoyed their first success at the European championship in Greece. They edged Portugal 67:55 in the last encounter of the preliminary round in Group C. The victory allowed Ukraine to advance to the qualifying round.
Both teams had a slow start to this one as they kept scoreless for more than 2 minutes before Andriy Lebedintsev (194-G-91) nailed a free throw to put Ukraine ahead. Portugal however gradually found the right rhythm and surged in front on Joao Mesquita (187-F-91)'s jumper midway through the opening quarter. Portugal held on to the lead at the end of the frame 16:15. Defence prevailed in the second quarter and Ukraine managed to succeed in this kind of game. They limited Portugal players to just 11 points in the stanza and regained the advantage at the end of the half 28:27.
Teams exchanged the blows throughout the third quarter before Andriy Lebedintsev ignited an 8:0 run to cap the frame and establish a 49:41 gap between them. Andriy Lebedintsev and Maksym Sandul (205-C-91) flew over the court in the final frame combining 15 points and securing the win for Ukrainian team.
Andriy Lebedintsev topscored for Ukraine with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Maksym Sandul contributed 17 points and 10 boards for the winners. Miguel Oliveira Rodrigues responded with 16 points and 6 boards for Portugal. Joao Mesquita had 15 points and 7 boards in a losing effort.
Ukraine outrebounded their opponents 48:43. They also limited Portugal to just 29.7% of two-point attempts.
Ukraine will now play in Group F and faces Greece in the first game tomorrow. Portugal fell to 0-3 record and will take on Czech republic in the classification round.

Ukraine U16: Andriy Lebedintsev 29+12 boards, Maksym Sandul 17+10 boards
Portugal U16: Miguel Rodrigues (203-C-76) 16, Joao Mesquita 15.

Lithuania U16 - Turkey U16 70:73
Lithuania U16 National team suffered their first defeat at the European championship in Greece. They were beaten by Turkey and fell to 2-1 record. Lithuania however finished at the second spot in Group C and advanced into qualification round.
Lithuania had a better start to the game as they grabbed an early 16:14 lead after the opening quarter. They maintained throughout the second quarter and ended the first half ahead 29:28.
Giedrius Staniulis (201-C-91) and Augustas Peciukevicius lifted Lithuania to a 40:32 advantage midway through the third quarter. However Turkey climbed back into contest and narrowed the gap to 48:50 entering the fourth frame. Turkey surged ahead in the center of the final quarter when Cam Mutaf sparked with 8 points and put Turkey in front 66:56. Augustas Peciukevicius scored 4 straight points in the last minute of regulation to cut the deficit to 2 points 68:70. Firat Toz answered with one free throw to make it a 71:68 game with 13 seconds left. Peciukevicius was fouled and converted both shots from the charity stripe to narrow the gap to a single point. Genco Dilik (191-G-91) scored both free throws in reply and Lithuania had 6 seconds to save the game. Deividas Nazarovas managed to shoot a buzzer-beater but it missed the target sealing the victory for Turkey.
Lithuania were led by Ovidijus Varanauskas (184-G-91) with 24 points. Giedrius Staniulis secured 13 points in defeat. Genco Dilik topscored for Turkey with 15 points.
Lithuania will next face Latvia in Group F action.

Lithuania U16: Ovidijus Varanauskas 24 points, Giedrius Staniulis 13
Turkey U16: Genco Dilik 15, Aydin Okcu (-91) 12.

Group D

Russia U16 - Croatia U16 74:73
Russian U16 National team gained their first win at the European championship in Greece. They narrowly defeated Croatia 74:73 in the last game of preliminary round in Group D. However the win brought little positive emotions for the last year's runner-up as Russia missed the qualifying round. They finished at the bottom of Group D with 1-2 record and needed a bigger advantage over Croatia to advance.
Russia were up by four points after the opening frame 18:14. They extended the lead to 40:33 at halftime and seemed to be on the right path. However Croatia knew the task well and kept it a striking distance. They narrowed the deficit in the final frame and surged ahead with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. Vladimir Chichaykin's jump shot with 2 seconds remaining in regulation brough victory for Russian side but left them out of Top 12.
Ilya Malykh (194-G-91) paced Russia with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Evgeny Verbitskiy (194-F-91) produced 11 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Toni Prostran (183-G-91) secured 20 points for Croatia. Dino Jakolis (190-G-91) had 18 points off the bench.
Russia will now battle in classification round and takes on Slovenia tomorrow. Croatia got into Group F and faces Turkey in the opening game of the qualifying round.

Russia U16: Ilya Malykh 27 points, Evgeny Verbitskiy 11+11 boards
Croatia U16: Toni Prostran 20, Dino Jakolis 18.


Greece U16 - Latvia U16 66:43
Greek team expectedly overcame Latvia to complete the preliminary round with a perfect record. The home team used a strong second half to stun their opponents and celebrate the third win at the tournament. They will now play in qualifying round Group F and take on Ukraine tomorrow. Latvia ensured their qualifying round spot and play against Lithuania.

Greece U16: Ioannis Angelopoulos (189-G-91) 16, Dimitrios Katsivelis (194-G-91) 13
Latvia U16: Harijs Rubenis (199-F-91) 12, Armands Osins (190-G-91) 11.


   Division B: Macedonia enjoys the first round of European championship - Jul. 20, 2007
Sweden U16 - Romania U16 75:55
Sweden crushed Romania on the way to their first win at the European championship in Macedonia. Andreas Person (187-G-91) and Alexander Lindqvist (202-G-91) poured in 16 points apiece to ensure the winning outcome for Baltik team. Sweden topped Group A ladder and will next take on Finland tomorrow. Romania plays against Norway.

Sweden U16: Andreas Person 16, Alexander Lindqvist 16
Romania U16: Sergiu Pop (193-F-91) 11, George Chirof (196-C-91) 10

Montenegro U16 - Finland U16 97:66
Montenegro U16 team had a victorious start to the tournament as they cruised past Finland. Montenegrin team used a 36:13 fourth frame to seal the victory and climbed on top pf Group A standings. Mihailo Sekulovic (-91) netted game-high 24 points off the bench to pace Montenegro. Sasu Salin (185-G-91) responded with 21 points and 8 rebounds for Finland.

Montenegro U16: Mihailo Sekulovic 24, Milos Kuveljic (195-G-91) 18
Finland U16: Sasu Salin 21, Jouni Samuli Vanttaja 14

Germany U16 - Norway U16 87:599
Germany U16 team celebrated their first success at the European championship in Macedonia. They spurred to an impressive 48:20 advantage at halftime and never allowed Norway to come close in the second half. Niels Giffey (198-F-91) topscored for Germany with 22 points. Stian Berg (180-G-91) had 16 points in a loss.

Germany U16: Niels Giffey 22, Alexander Andreev (207-C-91) 14
Norway U16: Stian Berg 16, Marius Botolfsen (-92) 9

Group C

Hungary U16 - Netherlands U16 85:80
Hungarian U16 squad narrowly defeated Netherlands to grab the first victory in Macedonia. They survived a late rally from Dutch team and secured a vcitory at the end. Janos Eilingsfeld (198-F/C-91) produced 23 points and 10 rebounds for Hungary. Jeroen van Vugt (188-G-91) scored 21 points to lead Netherlands.

Hungary U16: Janos Eilingsfeld 23+10 boards, Adam Lepsenyi (201-C-91, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) 22+11 boards
Netherlands U16: Jeroen van Vugt 21, Joost Padberg (202-C-91) 14

Belgium U16 - Belarus U16 106:82
Belgium stun Belarus to clinch the top spot in Group C after the first round of action at the European championship in Macedonia. Belgium had 5 players scoring in double figures. Dennis Donkor (192-G/F-91) and Maarten Rademakers (201-C-91) completed 18 points apiece to seal the win for Belgian team. Belarus answered with 23 points from Aliaksei Kachan (-91).

Belgium U16: Dennis Donkor 18, Maarten Rademakers 18
Belarus U16: Aliaksei Kachan 23, Uladzimir Krysevich (205-C-91) 12.