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 surged ahead with a decisive 20-8 run, taking a 60-57 lead that Israel could not overcome. Although Israel attempted a comeback in the final quarter, Italy maintained control to secure the victory.
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 Lachmanovitch also supported the team with 10 points and three assists.
This loss relegates Israel to the 13th-16th place classification bracket, where they must win their remaining two games to avoid relegation from Division A. Their next match is scheduled for Friday at 13:00 against Georgia, with a loss in that game resulting in demotion to Division B.
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