Belarus defeat Israel in 50-minute drama to finalize Semi-Final picture

PODGORICA (FIBA U16 Women's European Championship 2018, Division C) – A nail-biting double overtime contest between Israel and Belarus headlined the Quarter-Final action at the FIBA U16 Women's European Championship 2018, Division B with the Nadzeya Kamenets-coached Belarusians joining Finland, Greece and Sweden in the Semi-Finals.

Two of the four remaining contenders will secure promotion as soon as Friday, with the top three teams in Podgorica earning Division A status for next year's event.

It took Belarus two extra periods and 50-minute efforts from the trio of Iryna Venskaya, Yana Liabedzich and Katsiaryna Yerameyeva to get past Israel in the Quarter-Finals, as they celebrated an 82-80 victory in a nip-and-tuck duel that saw a total of 28 lead changes.Venskaya was one of three Belarus player who played all 50 minutes

Venskaya had a team-high 17 points to go along 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Liabedzich collected a 16-point and 13-rebound double-double, while Ulyana Basalyha, who played 35 minutes, also chipped in with 16 points and 5 rebounds.

Israeli rising star Yarden Garzon was the top scorer of the game with 26 points and 8 rebounds, while Shira Hagag finished the night with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Set to face Belarus in the Semi-Finals, Sweden used a strong fourth quarter push to get by Portugal, outscoring their opponents 19-7 in the final stanza en route to a 57-44 victory.Julia Nystrom took control of the game, leading Sweden past Portuguese opposition

Julia Nystrom went 5-of-11 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw stripe for a game-high 19 points, while Matilda Ekh chipped in with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

On the other side of the bracket, Finland continued a good day for Scandinavian teams with a 77-54 victory over Romania - Janette Aarnio leading the way with a 15-point effort in just 23 minutes of playing time.

Alexandra Ailus and Teresa Seppala collected 12 points apiece for the Finns, who were particularly ruthless inside the paint, converting 28 more points from close range than their Romanian rivals.Finland had no trouble  against Romania whatsoever

Meanwhile, Greece walked over Slovenia 77-43 - the trio of Ioanna Chatzileonti, Eleni Bosgana and Filippa Goula combining for more than half of the team's points.

Chatzileonti was impressive in particular, scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists and holding a team-high plus/minus rating of 31 while on the court.

The tournament hosts Montenegro began the Classification Games 9-16 with a 58-51 victory against Slovakia and will continue their campaign on Friday with a game against Ukraine, who swept aside Switzerland with a dominant 73-35 scoreline.
2003-born Eleni Bosgana was one of the key factors in the Quarter-Finals for Greece

Meanwhile, Estonia put together the best defensive performance of the day in a 42-28 triumph over Great Britain, holding their opponents to single digits in each of the quarters. Norway were also among the day's winners after topping Ireland 64-50 on the back of a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double by Synne Jacobsen.

In the Classification Games 17-23, Bulgaria defeated the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 73-58, Luxembourg picked off Albania 72-44, while Bosnia and Herzegovina inscribed a convincing 83-57 victory against Kosovo.

Semi-Final pairings:

Greece v Finland Sweden v Belarus [/unordered]

FIBA