Israel U16 Basketball Team Faces Survival Battle After Loss to Italy
The Israeli under-16 basketball team suffered an 86-75 defeat to Italy on Wednesday in the 9th-16th place classification round of the European U16 Championship. Despite leading 46-36 at halftime, Israel lost momentum in the third quarter as Italy went on a decisive 20-8 run to take a 60-57 lead, which they maintained until the final buzzer. Israel attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter but could not overcome the deficit.
Ido Ziv led the Israeli scorers with 20 points, including six three-pointers on 11 attempts. Maor Sela contributed 17 points, four rebounds, and five blocks, while Itay Kedem added 14 points and nine rebounds. Yanai Lachmanovich also supported with 10 points and three assists. Following this loss, Israel dropped to the 13th-16th place classification bracket and must win its remaining two games to avoid relegation from Division A.
The next critical match is scheduled for Friday at 13:00 against Georgia. A loss in that game would result in Israel being relegated to Division B. The team now faces a crucial survival challenge in the tournament.
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