Portugal, Belarus survive close battles; eight teams remain undefeated

SKOPJE (FIBA U18 European Championship 2018, Division B) – All but two games on the second day of the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018, Division B ended with double-digit margins, but it was Belarus forward Dzmitry Ryuny who stole the spotlight with an impressive individual display in a close call against Norway.

The 18-year-old prospect filled the boxscore with 10 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks to guide Belarus to their second win in Group A with an 85-79 triumph over their Scandinavian challengers.

Daniil Barysevich played a big role in the victory with 21 points, while Vadzim Tretsiak and Raman Hests chipped in with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Norway picked up their second defeat in a row despite a 25-point, 11-rebound and 5-steal effort from Mikal Gjerde.

Francisco Amarante knocked down five triples against Romania

The only other tightly-contested game also took place in Group A, with Portugal also climbing to 2-0 with a 66-59 win over Romania, as Francisco Amarante went 5-of-10 from three-point range for a game-high 19 points. Meanwhile, Poland bounced back after Friday's loss to Portugal with a 104-68 hammering of Switzerland.

Estonia and Belgium maintained their perfect records intact in Group B, with the Henri Drell-less Estonians brushing aside Azerbaijan, 85-60, and the Belgians blowing the lid off Austria with a 108-61 scoreline.

After an opening-day loss, Hungary also got on the board in Skopje with an 87-74 victory against Georgia, with Adam Somogyi leading the charge with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Hungary were too strong for Georgia

Elsewhere, Israel picked up where they left off in Group C, stunning Luxembourg with a 27-13 run right out of the gates en route to a one-sided 104-70 triumph. Orchestrating the demolition job, point guard Eidan Alber left a mark on the game with a 15-point and 11-assist double-double.

Czech Republic moved their marker to 2-0 by downing Iceland 95-73, as the Netherlands put their heart-breaking loss against Israel behind them with an 84-62 win over the tournament hosts the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Sweden defeated Albania by 80 points

In Group D, Slovenia and Sweden registered colossal blowouts against Denmark and Albania, respectively, to add another tick to their victory count. With five players in double figures, the Tomaz Fartek-coached Slovenians out-dueled Denmark 93-53, while Sweden showed no mercy against Albania in a 122-42 rout.

In the only other game in the group, Tsvetomir Chernokojev posted a 27-point and 15-rebound double-double, as Bulgaria claimed their first win of the tournament by getting the better of Slovakia, 75-60.

FIBA