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

Israel's under-16 girls basketball team was eliminated in the round of 16 at the European Championship after a 66-56 loss to Serbia 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 game took place in the knockout stage, and Israel will now compete in classification matches for places 9 to 16 to try to maintain their position in Division A.

The match started poorly for Israel, with Serbia dominating the first quarter 26-5 and forcing 17 turnovers in the first half. At halftime, Serbia led 39-21. Israel's shooting improved significantly in the third quarter, hitting five of six three-pointers and reducing the gap to 51-42 by the end of the quarter. In the final quarter, Israel came within one point at 55-54 with 3:31 remaining, but Serbia responded with three consecutive three-pointers to close out the game.

Key Israeli players included Tahl Dogan, who scored 15 points with three three-pointers, Michal Abudraham, who contributed 12 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 steals, and Rona Tzalal and Ella Maoz Berda, each with 8 points and 5 assists. The team will face the loser of the Spain-Lithuania match on August 19 in the classification rounds, aiming to secure their place in the top division for next year.