With only one game remaining of the Qalifying Round the best teams of the U-18 Division "A" European Championship, held in Vilnius (Lithuania), are taking positions for the quarterfinals. The best prospects of them are appearing, sending a clear message to the supporters. They are dreaming with the title. Jonas Valanciunas ('92) -at the pic-, with 20.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, is leading Lithuania, the main favorite. Linos Chrysikopoulos ('92), with 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, is doing the same with Greece. Yesterday he flirted with the triple-double (30+13+8). Even Alessandro Gentile ('92) is not a team player, Italy still has options with the guard averaging 27.2 points and 44% from downtown. The best tournament scorer. Will see today who will make it to the quarterfinals. In the fight to avoid the relegation, amazing Olexiy Len ('93). The 2.10 ukranian center has averaged 23.0 points, 17.5 rebounds and 6.0 blocks in both contests. No comment. Let's check what happened last two days of competition.

 

Group E

-Slovenia 76 Latvia 74: Alen Omic ('92) 19 points with 7/9 FG and 9 rebounds; Edmunds Dukulis ('92) 16 points, 10 rebounds and 1 steal.

-France 63 Lithuania 104: Lambert Diacono ('92) 13 points with 5/9 FG in 17 minutes; Jonas Valanciunas ('92) 34 points with 14/16 FG and 13 rebounds.

-Spain 67 Poland 81: Albert Ventura ('92) 17 points with 6/13 FG and 7 rebounds; Tomasz Gielo ('93) 17 points with 2/2 threes and 4 rebounds.

-France 75 Slovenia 51: Mathis Keita ('92) 18 points with 3/3 threes and 6 rebounds; Marko Pajic ('92) 11 points with 3/6 threes and 6 rebounds.

-Lithuania 77 Spain 58: Jonas Valanciunas ('92) 20 points with 7/9 twos and 6 rebounds; Jaime Fernández ('93) 9 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

-Poland 59 Latvia 63: Tomasz Gielo ('93) 13 points with 2/5 threes and 4 rebounds; Davis Bertans ('92) 16 points with 3/7 threes and 11 rebounds.

Standings: Lithuania (4-0), Latvia (3-1), Poland (2-2), France (1-3), Spain (1-3) and Slovenia (1-3).

 

Group F

-Greece 97 Italy 88: Linos Chrsikopoulos ('92) 25 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists; Alessandro Gentile ('92) 21 points with 9/19 FG and 2 assists.

-Croatia 55 Russia 78: Stefan Zadravec ('92) 12 points with 2/2 threes and 3 rebounds; Dmitry Kulagin ('92) 16 points with 3/5 threes and 5 steals.

-Turkey 49 Serbia 63: Can Korkmaz ('92) 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists; Nikola Siladi ('92) 11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.

-Italy 61 Croatia 72: Alessandro Gentile ('92) 21 points with 3/12 threes and 4 rebounds; Darijo Saric ('94) 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

-Greece 79 Turkey 65: Linos Chrysikopoulos ('92) 30 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks; Can Korkmaz ('92) 15 points with 3/6 threes and 3 assists. 

-Russia 75 Serbia 61: Dmitry Kulagin ('92) 23 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds; Nikola Siladi ('92) 16 points with 2/3 threes and 7 rebounds. 

Standings: Russia (3-1), Greece (3-1), Serbia (2-2), Croatia (2-2), Italy (1-3) and Turkey (1-3).

 

Classification Round (to avoid the relegation)

-Sweden 88 Bulgaria 66: Marcus Eriksson ('93) 20 points with 4/12 threes and three rebounds; Hristo Gospodinov ('92) 12 points, 11 rebounds and 1 steal.

-Ukraine 59 Germany 73: Olexiy Len ('93) 20 points, 17 rebounds and 9 blocks; Philipp Neumann ('92) 24 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

-Bulgaria 75 Ukraine 79: Pavlin Ivanov ('93) 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists; Olexiy Len ('93) 26 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks.

-Germany 73 Sweden 66: Ole Wendt ('92) 18 points with 3/7 threes and 8 rebounds; Marcus Eriksson ('93) 15 points with 3/8 threes and 3 assists.

Standings: Germany (2-0), Sweden (1-1), Ukraine (1-1) and Bulgaria (0-2).

 

Photo: FIBA Europe / Robertas Dackus