Division B: Netherlands and Poland Complete Second-Half Comebacks to Set Up the Final

Both semifinals at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B on August 1, 2026, followed the exact same script a team trailing at the break, a surge after halftime, and a spot in the final earned rather than cruised into.
The Netherlands trailed Czechia by five at halftime, and the game stayed tense into the third quarter before Marek Houska (194-PG-2009)'s free throw tied it at 43-43 only for Yanu Slingerland (194-F-2008) to answer immediately with a go-ahead layup and swing the game for good. From there the Dutch simply pulled away, capping it with a 13-0 run early in the fourth quarter that turned a four-point lead into a rout. Tayshawn Gipson (191-G-2008) orchestrated the win with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists without a single turnover, punctuating it with a fourth-quarter dunk that put the game out of reach; Slingerland added a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Houska was excellent for Czechia in defeat, finishing with 19 points and six assists, including a nine-point burst in the second quarter, but it wasn't enough to hold off the Dutch surge, and the final was 78-66.
Poland's comeback against Belgium followed almost the same shape, just with a much higher final score. Belgium opened a 25-20 lead in the first quarter and looked to be in control, but Poland clawed back to tie it at 40-40 by halftime, then took over for good with a stretch spanning the second and third quarters where they made every shot they attempted while Belgium managed just two points. August Chalupa (190-G-2008, agency: SPORTFORUM Agency) was the story of the second half, finishing with 24 points on an efficient 11-of-12 from the line and adding three blocks, and Hubert Swirydowicz (200-F-2009) added 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four made threes. Aaron Embo (180-G-2009) was nearly unstoppable for Belgium, scoring a game-high 37 points, but he couldn't do it alone, and Poland closed out an 89-81 win.
Netherlands and Poland now meet for the Division B title, while Czechia and Belgium will play for bronze.