Israel's Women's U20 Basketball Team Reaches European Championship Semifinals for First Time

Israel's women's under-20 basketball team achieved a historic milestone by advancing to the semifinals of the European Championship for the first time. The team secured a dramatic 80-79 victory over Poland, led by Gal Raviv's outstanding performance of 37 points, including seven three-pointers. Coach Tal Natan's squad started strong, with Raviv and Maya Zilbershlag helping Israel take a 23-16 lead after the first quarter.

Poland regained momentum in the second quarter, dominating the paint and scoring three consecutive three-pointers to lead 48-40 at halftime. Despite trailing, Israel remained resilient, with Raviv and Zilbershlag keeping the team competitive in the third quarter, which ended 65-58 in Poland's favor. The final quarter saw Israel rally with eight points in the first 90 seconds to complete the comeback.

The closing minutes were tense, featuring a key unsportsmanlike foul on Raviv that tied the game at 71-71. Raviv took charge in the final moments, scoring crucial points and sinking free throws to put Israel ahead 80-76 with 22 seconds remaining. Poland's last-second three-pointer fell short, sealing Israel's win. Israel will face the winner of the Croatia-Belgium match in the semifinals on Saturday. Other contributors included Maya Zilbershlag with 16 points, Ayala Oren with 13 points and seven rebounds, Maayan Cohen with eight points, Noa Magid with four, and Mai Baiko with two.