Germany win three games at U19 warm-up tournament

ZARAGOZA (FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017) - Germany captured three victories in a four-nation warm-up tournament in the build-up to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017.

Germany, who will face Egypt, Lithuania and Puerto Rico in Group B at the 1-9 July U19 spectacle, knocked off Italy, Spain and hosts Egypt in winning the exhibition event played in Zaragoza Spain.

Germany forward Oscar da Silva missed all three games but the team had enough firepower to make up for his absence. Isaac Bonga had 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks and Louis Olinde added 11 points and nine rebounds in a 66-51 win over Italy, who got 16 points from Davide De Negri.

Kostja Mushidi scored 13 points and Richard Freudenburg scored 11 as Germany knocked off Spain 69-61, forcing 30 Spain turnovers. Aleix Font did have 14 points and seven rebounds for the Spanish, who will face Canada, Japan and Mali in Group C at Cairo 2017.

Oscar da Silva was forced to sit out the four-nations warm-up tournament but Germany grabbed three wins. They will only be better when he returns.

And Germany finished the tournament strong with an 86-69 triumph over Egypt thanks to 19 points from Mushidi and 13 points and seven rebounds from Olinde. More importantly for German coach Alan Ibrahimagic, Germany made 11-of-29 three-pointers (38 percent) against Egypt after combining to hit just 8-of-52 three-pointers (15 percent) in the first two games.

Egypt saw Seif Elsandily score 15 points while Ahmed Khalaf had 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the loss.

Italy also beat Egypt as David Okeke had 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a 71-61 win. Lorenzo Bucarelli added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Italians, who will play Angola, Iran and United States in Group D in Cairo.

Esam Tamer had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Egypt, who will square off against Germany, Lithuania and Puerto Rico in front of their home fans in Group B in Cairo.

Italy, who were playing without floor leader Davide Moretti, finished second in the tournament thanks to a 58-48 win over Spain with De Negri scoring 15 points. Eric Vila had 14 points and nine rebounds for Spain.

The Spanish did grab one victory in beating Egypt 91-66 as Alvaro Sanz had 15 points and Joshua Tomaic scored 14 points off the bench and Eric Vila chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds. Khalaf picked up 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

In other warm-up games for U19 teams, France split two games against Ukraine's U20 team in Cherkassy.

Abdoulaye N’Doye scored 17 points off the bench as France won the first game 81-56 while Bathiste Tchouaffe added 11 points and captain Killian Tillie collected nine points, 10 rebounds, six steals and one block.

The French held Ukrainian star Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to just four points on 1-of-8 shooting. Altogether, the Ukrainians shot just 31 percent for the game.

Mykhailiuk tallied 22 points in the second match-up, which the Ukrainians won 75-61 with Vitaliy Zotov picking up 12 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals.

The French, who will play Argentina, Korea and New Zealand in Group A in Cairo, were paced by 14 points from Mel Esso Essis while Tillie had 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

FIBA