Division A: Spain Erases a 29-Point Deficit as France, Slovenia and Italy Also Reach the Semifinals

Four teams booked their place in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket semifinals on July 30, 2026, and one of them pulled off a comeback that will be hard to top for the rest of the tournament. Spain trailed Greece by 29 points midway through the second quarter down 48-19, with Greece controlling every facet of the game and somehow found their way back to a 69-66 win. The turnaround took the entire second half: an 18-43 surge that included a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, and it came down to the final possessions after Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou (200-F-2008)'s tying three with just over two minutes left briefly threatened to complete an even bigger collapse for Spain. Humberto Ruiz (196-F-2009) led the rally with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists, Chiek Diallo (205-F-2008) added a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double with three blocks, and Javier Viguer scored all six of his points in crunch time. Chatzilamprou finished with a game-high 24 for Greece, but the team that led for nearly 36 of 40 minutes still walked away with nothing.
Slovenia needed their own late composure against Israel, in a game that never saw either side pull away. Israel led after the first and third quarters, and Oren Trushkin (197-F-2008)'s go-ahead layup with 6:45 left gave them a one-point edge only for Slovenia to answer with a 9-0 run over the next two-plus minutes that swung the game for good. Stefan Joksimovic (194-F-2008) exploded for 28 points and 10 rebounds, including a 12-point burst in the second quarter, and Maks Ciperle (200-SG-2008) added a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double as Slovenia held on, 95-87. David Musis (208-C-2008, agency: Octagon Europe) fought hard for Israel with 24 points and eight rebounds, but Israel was held scoreless over the final 2:32 of crunch time as Slovenia closed it out at the free-throw line.
Italy and France had far more comfortable afternoons. Italy never trailed against Turkiye, building the lead as high as 24 points behind Papa Cheickh Niang's 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a 76-59 win; Darius Karutasu (201-F-2009)'s 17 points weren't enough for the Turks. France pulled away from Germany in the second quarter and cruised to a 76-61 win, with Hugo Yimga-Moukouri (205-SF-2008) scoring 25 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the line and Afeny Cognet (185-G-2008) adding 11; Leonard Kroger (205-C-2008) was excellent for Germany with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 14 rebounds, but Germany's off night from three 5-of-24 as a team kept them from ever threatening.