France fend off Montenegro for third U16 European title

PODGORICA (FIBA U16 European Championship 2017) - France claimed their third FIBA U16 European Championship title with a 75-68 victory over Montenegro. MVP Killian Hayes scored 21 points and Theo Maledon added 20 in helping France snap the magical run of the host side from Montenegro.

Turning Point: Montenegro had fought back from a 21-point first quarter deficit and made it 59-56 with eight minutes left. But France responded with an 11-0 run for a 70-56 advantage.

Game Hero: Theo Maledon was the calming force for France as he collected eight points, three rebounds and three steals in the fourth quarter as Montenegro fought their way back into the game. Each time Maledon would coolly stick another small dagger into Montenegro's hopes.

Stats Don't Lie: France may have turned the ball over 21 times but Montenegro committed 19 turnovers on 16 France steals for a 20-to-11 advantage on points from turnovers and a 21-12 advantage on fastbreak points. On top of that, France hit 11-of-23 three-pointers for 48 percent while Montenegro hit just 5-of-30 for 17 percent.

Bottom Line: France have added a third title to their trophy case following 2004 and 2014. Montenegro can definitely be thrilled with their run as they achieved their best-ever result in an international basketball competition - besting their fifth place from FIBA U20 European Championship 2008.

What They Said: "It's not only me, it's the whole team. We worked hard for two months to achieve this goal so we are really happy and we are going to enjoy it tonight. It means a lot to this country because it's the second time in four years. We worked hard for this, so we are really happy" - MVP Killian Hayes of France. 

"It's the same thing as in Latvia (when France beat the host team Latvia in the U16 final with Faure as coach). I had a dream that we played against Montenegro. And Montenegro beat Serbia. In the night I thought, yes, maybe it is possible. This is incredible. We have improved throughout the tournament. In the Group Phase we were slow. And now we play how I want" - French coach Bernard Faure.

"It feels good but it also feels bad because we could have done better. It's the best achievement in Montenegro history and I'm glad we did that. We did that with our crowd and with our people" - Montenegro guard Stefan Vlahovic.

FIBA