The sixteen best U-16 teams of Europe started yesterday their fight in the Division "A" European Championship, held in Bar (Montenegro). Spain will try to repeat their performance of last year, winning the gold medal against Lithuania, but won't be easy even yesterday they crashed Latvia (+33). Other squads want to be the spaniards successors, and among them Croatia and his rising-star Dario Saric ('94). The forward, number 1 of Eurohopes'94, led his team over Serbia in the most interesting game of the opener. The prospect made a very complete contest: 25 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals (but 8 turnovers). No comment. For croatians only played seven players, six of them more than 28 minutes and the last one only 5'. Another show in this first day was the one coming from hosts. Montenegro beat Israel with Nikola Ivanovic ('94) pouring 25 points, with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. No comment either. Let's check what happened in all the games.

 

Group A:

-Germany 54 Italy 73: Mauricio Marin ('94) 16 points with 4/7 threes and 3 rebounds; Francesco Candussi ('94) 18 points with 7/9 twos and 3 boards.

-Croatia 69 Serbia 64: Dario Saric ('94) 25 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists; Nikola Majic ('94) 16 points with 2/5 threes and 13 rebounds.

 

Standings: Italy (1-0), Croatia (1-0), Serbia (0-1) and Germany (0-1).

 

Group B:

-Denmark 55 Greece 53: Peter Moeller ('94) 15 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal; Kyprianos Maragkos ('94) 19 points with 8/19 FG and 8 rebounds.

-France 66 Lithuania 46: Charly Maraux ('94) 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists; Augustinas Jankaitis ('94) 15 points with 6/10 FG and 6 rebounds.

 

Standings: France (1-0), Denmark (1-0), Greece (0-1) and Lithuania (0-1).

 

Group C:

-Latvia 32 Spain 65: Oskars Reinfelds ('94) 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists; Albert Homs ('94) 11 points with 5/6 FG and 5 rebounds.

-Bulgaria 79 Poland 53: Deyan Karamfilov ('94) 19 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds; Daniel Szymkiewicz ('94) 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals.

 

Standings: Spain (1-0), Bulgaria (1-0), Poland (0-1) and Latvia (0-1).

 

Group D:

-Russia 50 Turkey 71: Mikhail Kulagin ('94) 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal; Tayfun Erülkü ('94) 21 points with 8/18 FG and 6 rebounds.

-Montenegro 81 Israel 71: Nikola Ivanovic ('94) 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists; Egor Koulechov ('94) 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. 

 

Standings: Turkey (1-0), Montenegro (1-0), Israel (0-1) and Russia (0-1).

 

Photo: FIBA Europe / Nebojsa Parausic