Israel U16 Girls Basketball Team Falls to Serbia 66-56 in European Championship Round of 16

The Israeli under-16 girls basketball team was eliminated from the European Championship after a 66-56 loss to Serbia in the round of 16 on August 18, 2026. Despite a strong second-half comeback that narrowed a 20-point deficit to just one point, Serbia pulled away with a late 11-2 run to secure the victory. The match took place on Tuesday evening, with Israel now set to compete in classification games for places 9-16 starting Wednesday.

Serbia dominated early, opening with a 26-5 first quarter and forcing Israel into 17 turnovers in the first half, leading to a 39-21 halftime advantage. Israel's shooting improved significantly in the third quarter, hitting five of six three-point attempts and cutting the deficit to nine points by the end of the period. In the final quarter, Israel came within one point at 55-54 with just over three minutes remaining, but Serbia responded with three consecutive three-pointers to close out the game.

Key contributors for Israel included Tahl Dogan with 15 points, Michal Abudraham who added 12 points along with 15 rebounds and three steals, and Rona Tzalal and Ella Maoz Berda who each scored eight points and combined for five assists. The Israeli team, coached by Daniela Reuven, will face the loser of the Spain-Lithuania match in the classification round to try to maintain their place in Division A.

The loss highlighted Israel's early struggles with ball control and defense, but their resilience in the second half showed promise for upcoming games. The team now aims to secure their status in the top tier of European youth basketball through the placement matches.