HERAKLION (Greece) - Title holders Spain continued the defense of their FIBA U16 EuroBasket crowd after a thrilling comeback win against hosts Greece.
The Final showdown is set after France defeated Serbia in another tense battle, while Bulgaria and Croatia were both relegated to Division B.
Stay up to date with the tournament and check out the latest results, group standings and competition system for all the information you need.
Key Storylines
Spain go on 20-0 run in last five minutes to pull off Semi-Finals comeback against Greece;
Houindo's dominant performance powers France to success over Serbia;
Bulgaria and Croatia drop down to the Division B after losing to Poland and Georgia.
Semi-Finals
The encounter between Spain and Greece will be long remembered after an improbable fourth quarter comeback. The hosts led throughout the majority of the game and had a seemingly comfortable 11-point cushion with 5:15 left on the clock.
However, a major run from Spain ensued as they scored 20 unanswered points in just four minutes. It was then a nine-point lead entering the last 60 seconds and Spain calmly closed out a 77-71 triumph. Javier Viguer led the way with 20 points and some major clutch threes, while Gerard Fernandez put up 12 points - nine of which came in the aforementioned run.
Another close game came from France and Serbia where the former won 67-60, setting up the other half of the Final showdown. Serbia had opened the game hot and had a seven-point lead early in the first, but their opponents quickly found their defensive rhythm, made a turnaround and finished first half with a minimal lead.
France's strong run in the third put them back in the driving wheel with 10 last minutes commencing. After a Vuk Danilovic made three cut the gap to 58-55, Serbia were then held to just five points in the next eight minutes.
Cameron Houindo did an excellent job in protecting the paint with 6 blocks paired up with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals. Louka Letailleur posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for the victors.
Top Performers
As Lithuania recorded an easy 97-74 win over Slovenia to enter the battle for ninth spot, a dynamic duo of Ignas Stombergas and Dovydas Jakstonis deserve the majority of the praises. The former put up 16 points, 9 rebounds and big 5 block for the highest gameday efficiency of 29, while Jakstonis added a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, paired up with 4 assists.
Italy stay in the hunt for the fifth place following their 74-62 success over Türkiye. Federico Cattapan was once again the leading Italian force with 30 points and 4 made three pointers, also grabbing 12 rebounds in the process of making another appearance in the Top Performers lineup.
Mate Kavlashvili came up big with six three-pointers in his 30 points along with 4 assists in Georgia's important 90-81 win over Croatia. The battle for survival continues for Georgia, as the Croatians are going down in the Division B.
The only member in the lineup from the Semi-Finals is Cameron Houindo who produced a defensive masterclass in addition to 15 points - 9 rebounds, 6 blocks and 4 steals are what made this performance in a 67-60 win over Serbia special.
Results of the Day
Semi-Finals
Spain 77-71 Greece France 67-60 Serbia
Classification 5-8
Italy 74-62 Türkiye Latvia 72-78 Israel
Classification 9-12
Slovenia 74-97 Lithuania Germany 95-62 Finland
Classification 13-16
Bulgaria 66-87 Poland Croatia 81-90 Georgia
Final
Spain vs France
Third Place Game
Greece vs Serbia
Classification 5-6
Italy vs Israel
Classification 7-8
Türkiye vs Latvia
Classification 9-10
Lithuania vs Germany
Classification 11-12
Slovenia vs Finland
Classification 13-14
Poland vs Georgia
Classification 15-16
Bulgaria vs Croatia
FIBA