Israel Suffers Heavy 106-86 Defeat to Poland in World Cup Qualifier

The Israeli national basketball team endured a significant 106-86 loss to Poland on Thursday during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Despite a strong individual performance by Roman Sorkin, who scored 26 points, Israel struggled defensively and fell behind early. Poland took an 11-2 lead within the first three minutes, with Mateusz Ponitka spearheading the Polish offense.

Israel started with players Yam Madar, Kadeem Carrington, Guy Pnini, Netanel Artzi, and Sorkin. Poland maintained control throughout the game, leading 23-15 after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 55-42 by halftime. Ponitka had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists at the break, while Sorkin led Israel with 9 points.

In the second half, Poland continued to dominate, pushing the lead to 80-60 by the end of the third quarter. Despite efforts from Sorkin and Tamir Blatt, who recorded 11 points and 10 assists, Israel could not close the gap. Poland’s Jordan Loyd and Aleksander Balcerowski each scored 18 points, with Igor Milicic adding 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Israel’s other contributors included Madar with 13 points, Adam Ariel with 12, and Carrington with 10 points but poor shooting efficiency. Guy Pnini played 14 minutes without scoring. The defeat leaves Israel with a challenging path ahead in the World Cup qualification process.